Different Worlds
by Trafalgar Neo
Summary: Women flirt or fear Law because of his stature as a sadistic pirate. So what's Law to do when he finds a woman that does neither? Con her & her brother onto his sub of course. Little does he know what he brought onto his sub can bring him to his knees in more ways than one. But the inhuman feeling about them won't leave his mind. He will know their secrets and use them.
1. A Royal Conceived

A Royal Conceived

The moon hung full and low over the calm sea. Its light glittering in the water telling the daytime animals to settle into their burrows, nests, and caves as nighttime animals began to wake from their slumber. Other creatures, such as the elementals that lived on this isolated island hidden from the human world, were also stirring around in the night to the sounds of the crickets' nightly serenade. Some were getting ready for bed, others were getting dressed to go to their jobs, some were tucking their kids into bed with kisses and story time, while one particular couple were getting intimately close with each other on this cool night.

All were unaware of the living darkness slithering over the quiet island.

Rylan looked into Mira's dark blue eyes with his own electric blue ones. Their hearts raced inside of their chests as he ran his fingertips down the sides of her shirt. Hooking his thumbs into the top of her pants, he pulled them down, placing a kiss on her lips as he bend down to lower the clothing item. He ran his hands back up her bare legs as she stepped out of the clothing. His hands curled around her hips while her arms wrapped around his neck. Their lips locked into a heated kiss. Both tasting the other with such desperation as if it was the first time they were making love.

His hands slid back down to her legs. Curling around her toned thighs, he lifted her up so she could hook her ankles together behind him. He carried her over to their bed. Laying her down gently before entangling themselves in the most intimate act a husband and wife could possibly commit. Both desperately clung to the other while their heavy breathing, moans, and groans mixed together as they did their best not to disturb their son that was trying to sleep just down the hall of their small home.

Thirty minutes later, the couple was tangled up in each other's arms, sleeping peacefully until something woke Mira up. Gasping slightly, she sat up causing her husband to stir. He asked, "What's wrong, Mira?"  
"I'm not sure," Mira replied. "Something just feelings-" Before she could finish her sentence, sharp blades of darkness shot out at them from all corners of their moonlit room. Neither had the chance to react to what was happening or even think about what was going on. All they could do was watch as the sharp points flew towards her stomach. Suddenly, a shocking pure yellow glow appeared over her bare stomach. A strange, eerie shrill filled the room when the light touched the darkness.

Rylan shot up in bed. Both their eyes locked onto the bright glow as it washed over their room, pushing the darkness away from them, saving them from a dark fate. The shrill faded from the room. Then, slowly the light also began to fade. The two blinked several times to get their eyes adjusted back to the darkness. Once they could see again, their eyes locked onto each other's.

The same exact thought ran through their mind: There was no possibly way they had just conceived a royal.

The next morning was a silent one except for the sizzling of the frying pan. Mira was sitting at the kitchen table while Rylan was at the stove cooking breakfast for them. Neither of them noticed when their son wandered into the room. He said, "What's going on?"

Mira and Rylan jumped at the unexpected voice.

"Are you two okay?" the boy asked.

"Yes, Kailen," Mira said, smoothing out her shirt. "Why do you ask?"  
"I don't know," Kailen said, tilting his head questioningly. "Something just seems off today. I've felt like that since I got up."

"Nothing's wrong," Mira said with a warm smile. Her eyes ran over the young boy's face. She found it uncanny how he was always up and dressed for the day unlike a lot of kids who'd rather run around in their pajamas until their parents ordered or forced them to get dress. She knew the young boy was just trying to not be a bother to them, to try and the best little boy he could be. She knew he still felt like he was an outsider in their home despite their best efforts to make him feel like he was really part of their family. He was their adopted son. And he had only been living with them for about two years. Her heart took an erratic beat inside of her heart at the memory of him first coming to live with them. He was so quiet since his mother died. The boy didn't even remember his father since the man ran off when he was only three. She had no idea how he was going to react to having a sibling now, especially one that might be a royal. "How did you sleep last night?"  
"I slept fine," Kailen said, sitting down at the table. "At least I did when the darkness went away."

"What do you mean?" Mira asked. She tossed a quick glance over at Rylan. He too was wondering what their son meant. Was it really true they had conceived a royal? And their baby had somehow protected them from the darkness crystal? But that wasn't possible. No element crystal was revealed until after the child was born. Last night must have been a mistake. It had to have been something else.

"I'm not really sure," Kailen said. "I thought I was dreaming at first. Because the darkness was moving around like knives, but then I saw a beautiful yellow light push the darkness away. I feel asleep after that. I knew I was safe again because the light was so comforting."

Mira and Rylan knew then that it wasn't a mistake. They still wanted it to be, but they knew Kailen would never lie to them about something like this.

"Or maybe it was just a dream," Kailen said. He rested his chin down on the table with a sigh. "I'm sorry. What I said must have sounded very odd."

"There's no need for you to apologize, Kailen," Mira said. She reached over to the boy and ran her fingers into his green hair. She gave him a smile when his green eyes met hers. "We both believe you."

"Thanks, Mira," Kailen said.

"Breakfast is ready," Rylan announced. He summoned a wind crystal; using his winds he lifted the three plates of food off the counter and placed them onto the table before pulling freshly squeezed orange juice out of the fridge. He then joined the two at the table. "So, how are your healer lessons going?"  
"They're going great," Kailen said. "Madam Healer Zinnia is going to visit our class this week. She's going to see how we all are progressing in our training. People are talking about how she's always looking out for elementals to train herself."

"That's exciting," Rylan said. "I bet she'll pick you to train."

"I'm not good enough for that," Kailen said, his cheeks heating up.

"Of course you are," Mira said. "You successfully mastered one of the hardest sleeping powders when you were only six years old. I just know that you're going to be one of the best healers on Luminous one day."

"Thanks, but I still have a long ways to go," Kailen said.

"Well, you're on the right track," Rylan said. "Just keep up with your training."

"I will." Kailen nodded. "So, what are you two going to do today?" Both Rylan and Mira flinched at his question. The young boy easily caught their reaction. "Are you sure you two are okay? The both of you are jumpy this morning."

"We just didn't really sleep well last night," Rylan said. He tossed a glance over at Mira while taking a drink of his orange juice.

"Yeah," Mira added. "I think I might be coming down with something. So I'm going to go see a healer today."

"Oh, well, I hope your not getting sick," Kailen said, worry filling his eyes.

"Don't worry," Mira said. "I'm positive I'm not getting sick. This is more of a…precautionary thing."

"I understand," Kailen said before going back to his breakfast.

Mira and Rylan's eyes locked again. Both were relieved that this conversation had ended. First thing first, they actually needed a healer's conformation that they were having a baby before they tried to figure out how to break this news to Kailen. They dropped their eyes back to their meals. They didn't speak a word unless Kailen spoke up. And when he did, it was usually about his healer lessons. Soon they had completed breakfast. They sent their boy off to his lessons before rushing out of the house themselves.

They tried not to run to the ward. They didn't want to bring attention to themselves. They didn't know if anyone else had seen the solar crystal's glow last night. So far the only conversations they over heard as they passed through their neighborhood were typical ones about the weather, how someone was doing, what their upcoming plans were, and other day-to-day talks. A few elementals ended up stopping to talk to them. They chatted a little bit before having to excuse themselves and move on. Luckily they had reached the end of their neighborhood. They could see the castle peaks sticking out majestically over the thick green trees. The black pirate flag flowed proudly in the wind. Its hollow eyes cast its ever-watchful gaze down on the people of the island. The pirate flag that told outsiders they were under the protection of the Red Haired Pirates. Not that anyone would come here. Only few humans knew of their existence.

They were heading there. Well, not there to the castle but to the ward that was just outside of it. That's where the best healer on their island lived. That's who they needed to see. If anyone could tell if they had conceived a royal then it would be her.

The animals in the forest chirped and chittered happily to see the two elementals. But the elementals didn't have time to stop and play with their furry friends. They just rushed through the thick forest. Ignored the beautiful smells of the flowers, the leaves, and the morning dew that had not yet been evaporated by the warming sun. The trees parted before them. They saw the base of the castle wall then took a sharp right. There only a mere sixty yards away was the crystal green colored ward. Finally, after a seeming long walk to the ward, they entered into the building. A rush of relaxing jasmine greeted them but did nothing to calm their nerves. Ignoring all of the other patients that were scattered around the flower decorated waiting room, they walked right up to the water elemental sitting behind the reception desk. Mira slapped her hands on the counter, causing the other woman to jump. Leaning towards the woman, she said, "I need to see Madam Healer Zinnia right away."

"I'm sorry, but Madam Healer Zinnia doesn't have an open appointment today," the woman said, adjusting her glasses.

"Look this is an _emergence,_ " Mira stressed.

"Emergencies should report to the-"

"No!" Mira slammed her hands down on the counter top again.

"Honey, calm down," Rylan said. Grabbing Mira's arm, he pulled her away from the counter before she could do anything else. "Getting upset isn't going to help the situation." He looked to the other woman and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, but our issue really needs to be attended by the best healer on Luminous."

"Oh?" The woman lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "And what issue is it that should allow you ahead of everyone else here? As you can see, we have a full waiting room this morning."

"We conceived a child last night," Rylan said. Then he hesitated to continue. There was no way this woman was going to believe him. Or so he thought. Royals were a big deal here. Royals were sacred. Surely she would inform the healer about their issue.

"Congratulations," the woman said with obvious sarcasm.

"We are having a royal," Mira snapped.

"What?" The woman's eyes filled with confusion.

"I know it sounds weird, but we have a royal," Mira said, placing her hands on her stomach. "And our baby used the solar crystal last night to purify the darkness crystal."

"You can't be serious," the woman said.

"We are," Mira said with a firm nod. She knew she would get to see the healer now. No one ever joked about the solar crystal or a royal. It was the only thing that could keep them safe from the darkness crystal.

"All right, I understand," she said while waving to a nurse.

"Yes, ma'am?" the nurse, an earth elemental, asked. "How may I help you?"  
"This couple needs to see Madam Healer Zinnia right away," the receptionist said. "They have conceived a royal."

The nurse's eyes whipped to the couple. She swallowed nervously and nodded. Gesturing to the hall to her right, she said, "Please, follow me."

"Finally," Mira said.

The small group of three rushed down the hall of the ward's east wing. Coming to a room, the nurse asked them to stay out in the hall while she got the healer. It wasn't even a minute later when the nurse came back out with the most skill healer on the island. Healer Zinnia was a stout woman with glasses, green eyes, and light green hair that was just starting to streak with grey.

"Come with me," Healer Zinnia said. No other words were spoken. The nurse headed off while the remaining three went in the opposite direction. The healer led them into a room then gestured to the exam table. "Lay down and roll up your shirt."

Mira did. Rushing over to the table, she jumped up on it. Rolling up her shirt as she lied down on the table. She exhaled. Her heart raced rapidly in her chest, pushing blood faster through her veins. Everything that happened had her head spinning. She was going to be sick. This was it. It was going to be confirmed that they were possibly going to have a royal. They were going to have a royal. They weren't dreaming last night. She could feel it.

"So explain to me exactly what happened," Healer Zinnia said while she sat down on a stool near the exam table. She pulled open a drawer and pulled out four light green crystal patches. As she listened to Rylan explain what happened, she placed the patches on Mira's stomach, around her belly button. She then summoned one of her earth crystals. Engulfing the patch crystals in her crystal's glow, they also started glowing. She turned her eyes to the crystal monitor screen just as the glow from the crystals fed into the screen. Slowly, a picture of Mira's womb began to show and lines started to bounce across it. "I see. I guess that explains why some of my patients feel a lot better this morning."

"What do you mean?" Mira asked.

"For the past few weeks elementals have been coming to be feeling more aggressive than ever," Healer Zinnia said, pushing up her glasses. "I thought it was just a lack of sleep or something else along those lines, but suddenly they just felt better when I arrived here today."

"What does this all mean though?" Rylan asked.

"No one has ever known what their child's element is going to be until after they're born," Mira said. "So how was it possible that this happened?"  
"I have no idea," Healer Zinnia said. She pushed her glasses up higher on her nose while her eyes roamed over the readings in front of her. "But you are indeed pregnant. And I do believe you are harboring a royal. These readings are not normal."

"What do you mean they're not normal?" Rylan leaned towards the screen. Six different lines were bouncing across it.

"Usually when a woman is pregnant only two lines are shone on here." Healer Zinnia pointed to the lines. "This top one is your wife's. It represents her magic. These other lines represent your baby's magic. When someone is having only one child there are only two lines. If a woman is having twins then there are three lines and so on and so forth. So unless your wife is carrying five babies inside of her, you are definitely having a royal. But to be sure, I want you to come back in four to five weeks. I'll be able to tell them for sure if you're having one or more babies then."

"Sweet crystals of Luminous!" Mira placed her hands on her face. Her mind was spinning with how scary the future suddenly seemed right now. She didn't know how to have a baby, or take care of one. She loved kids enough, but never really saw herself as a mother, especially a mother to a royal. It was scary, intimidating, and just so hard to process right now. And then there was Kailen. She loved the boy as if he was their own son, but she and Rylan didn't have him as a baby.

Rylan exhaled. He too was feeling nervous and scared about having this royal. Royals were different from regular elementals. Royals were stronger than regular elementals. But mostly he was more worried about Mira and Kailen. Kailen because he was still so young and felt so inadequate at times. And was still trying to adjust to being in their family. Then there was Mira. She was a no nonsense type. She wasn't going to like having their child live in the palace all the time and get spoiled. Mira was going to shake up their traditions a lot while mothering their child.

"If I may, I suggest you talk to a mental healer," Healer Zinnia said.

"What for?" Rylan asked.

"It can be rather stressful for some when they know their child is a royal. And you two are clearly a very unique case," Healer Zinnia said. "This has never happened before. And we might not ever know why it happened. I just want you two to be prepared for what's to come. It's amazing for sure. We'll want to study your child to see if we can find answers as to why the solar and the darkness crystal appeared so suddenly. And as to why the solar crystal was able to be used through you. And at conception."

"Through me," Mira repeated. She ran her hands over her face with a confused, yet aggravated sigh.

"Maybe we should speak to the mental healer," Rylan said. He braced himself for Mira's retaliation.

"Maybe that would be best," Mira said.

Rylan blinked in confusion. "What?"

"At least a time or two," Mira said with a pointed glare at both Rylan and Healer Zinnia. "But I _will not_ have our child being spoiled by everyone on Luminous. And our child will _not_ be constantly living in the castle. Our child _will_ be living in _our home_. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rylan said.

Healer Zinnia smiled brightly. She said, "I can tell that this is going to be one very interesting royal."

"That is, if we are having a royal," Mira said, turning her head to the healer. "You said we would know for absolute certainty in a couple of weeks."

"That's correct." Healer Zinnia began to pull the crystals off Mira's stomach. "But I believe that it would be best if you start mentally preparing yourself for the high possibility you are having a royal. Non-royals never have used the solar crystal."

Mira rolled down her shirt then slid off the table.

"Thank you, Madam Healer," Rylan said.

"Please, let me know if you need anything." Healer Zinnia pulled a small notebook out of her pocket and scribbled a note on it. Ripping it from the pages, she handed it to Mira. "Give this to the receptionist. They'll put you in the books to meet with me in a few weeks."

"Thank you," Mira said.

"Yes, thank you," Rylan added. With his arm around Mira's shoulders he guided her out of the room and back down to the reception desk. They were meet with stares and whispers. The rumors have already stared. He casted Mira at look that told her she shouldn't have been so loud before.

Mira shrugged. "It's not like we're going to be able to keep this a secret forever."

"Thank you." Rylan took the appointment card from the receptionist then headed out the door with his wife. "True. But we don't need this news getting back to Kailen before we have a chance to speak to him."

Mira sighed as they stepped out of the ward. "This is just great. What now?"  
"We go home and prepare for what's to come," Rylan said. "You know everyone's going to start coming around more to see how you and our baby are doing."

"Great," Mira grumbled. "I hate so much attention."

"But first, we need to figure out how we're going to break this to Kailen," Rylan said. "I'm worried this might hurt him."

"I've been worried about that too," Mira said. "We're really going to have to enforce the fact that we love him. And that having this child doesn't change anything. He _is_ our son."

"Yeah." Rylan nodded. Slipping his fingers through hers they made their way back to their home in a lot slower pace than they did on their way here.

…

For hours they waited for their son to come home from his healer lessons. For hours they debated and talked about what's the best possible way to tell their son that he was getting a sibling, a royal sibling. The wait was nerve wracking. Neither one could sit still for very long. They both paced the house, fiddled with this or that, cleaned their already clean home, Rylan baked several desserts which they ate a lot of while they worried and waited. Then suddenly, their time was up. Kailen had walked back into their house.

"Uh oh," Kailen said when he smelled all the baked goods and cleaning supplies in the air. He scanned his eyes at the two adults in the living room. "What happened?"

"Kailen," Rylan said, moving away from the mantle to sit on the couch. "There's something we have to talk to you about."

"Okay," Kailen said cautiously.

"Come sit with us," Mira said patting the couch while Rylan scooted over to make room for the boy.

"All right," Kailen said. He placed his bag down on the first step of the stairs, closed the door, and then walked over to them. He sat down and looked up at each of them. "What's up?"  
"Kailen," Mira started. "How would you feel about having a sibling?"  
"A sibling?" Kailen blinked. "I don't know. I never really thought about it. I…I guess it would be fine."

"You won't be upset?" Rylan asked.

"I don't think so," Kailen said.

"What if your sibling turned out to be a royal?" Mira asked.

"Why? Where's all this coming fro…" Kailen's voice trailed off. "You're having a baby."

"We are," Mira said with a light nod.

"I see," Kailen said, his eyes dropped to the floor. "And your baby is a royal. That's why I saw that light last night."

"Yes," Rylan said. "It is. Or we're pretty sure it is after what happened last night. The healer still wants us to come in for another check up to be sure."

"What does last night have to do with anything?" Kailen asked.

"The darkness you saw," Mira said. "It was real. Somehow our baby purified it."

"A recently conceived child purified the darkness?" Kailen asked. "How is that even possible? No elemental child has ever shown what their element is until after they're born."

"Apparently it is possible," Rylan said biting his thumbnail. "Somehow."

Kailen stood up and walked a few feet away from them. When he turned back, he was wearing a forced smile that was all too easy for them to notice. "Congratulations then. I'm sure you both will be very happy to have a royal. Well, I have studying to do. I'll see you later."

"Would you like a snack?" Rylan asked. "We have plenty."

"No thanks." Kailen picked up his bag and headed upstairs. "I'm not hungry."

Rylan and Mira both sighed when the boy shut his door. It wasn't a slam exactly but it wasn't a normal shut either. Exchanging looks, both wondered if this was really going to be all right. Maybe they should have Kailen see a mental healer as well.

…

Four weeks later the truth had dashed any lingering doubt they had about having or not having a royal. With Healer Zinnia's crystals on Mira's stomach once more, they showed that only one baby was inside of her.

"Well, there you have it," Healer Zinnia said. "You two are officially the proud parents of a royal."

"Great," Mira said, eyeing their little bean on the monitor.

"Are you two going to be all right?" Healer Zinnia leaned back in her chair.

"We'll be fine," Rylan said. "It's just a bit much. Even after having four weeks to prepare themselves for this, it's still a lot to take in."

"Indeed," Healer Zinnia said. "This is the first time a royal has appeared like this. It's amazing we can tell so soon that your baby is a royal."

"I don't suppose we can just keep this a secret?" Mira asked.

"I'm afraid not," Healer Zinnia said. "As I'm sure you already know, rumors are spreading like wildfire. We're going to have to officially confirm this very soon. I'm sure Atlas will contact you any time now."

"Do we have to?" Mira asked. "I'm already tired of people stopping me and asking about it. There must have been a hundred today alone that stopped us on the way here."

"Afraid so," Healer Zinnia said. "Shall I inform Atlas of this?"

"Mira?" Rylan looked at his wife.

"Fine," Mira said a few minutes later. "Might as well get this over with." She locked eyes with her husband. "This is really happening, isn't it?"

"It is." Rylan nodded.

The healer got up and left the room to file her official report.

Myra studied her husband. His eyes were full of such a happy glow guilt settled into her for not feeling the same. Though she tried not to be so hard on herself. He had always wanted kids. He loved kids. She never was all that fond of the idea. She wasn't bad with kids or anything like that, she just never saw herself as a mother. All of the commotion and attention new mothers got from having a baby sent her skin crawling. And having a royal the attention would erupt. But now here it was being thrown at her like a hurricane. It was going to take a lot of time to adjust to.

A short time later a knock came on the door. Rylan opened it and a maid from the castle stepped inside. She bowed her head to them. "If you would please come with me. I have been asked by Atlas to escort you to the castle."

"Fine." Mira slipped off the exam table and followed after the maid. Stepping outside they were greeted by several elementals all-looking to get a finally announcement on whether or not they had a royal. Her body tensed up from all the eyes roaming over her.

"Is it true?"

"Is there really a royal?"

"Please, tell us!"

"We have nothing to say at this point in time," the maid said. "If you all will be patient the official announce on whether or not we will prepare for a royal will be announced soon. Please, go on about your business."

The crowd mumbled as they wondered away from the ward.

"Stupid crowds," Mira murmured.

"I should have know we would have a royal," Rylan said. "I wonder what Shanks and his crew will think of this."

"I wonder when they're going to visit us again," Mira said then added thoughtfully, "If they come around the seventh month then I might not be in good condition to get a piece of his hair."

"You're never going to give up on that, are you?" Rylan asked.

"Of course not!" Mira said. "I am going to get a lock of his hair before I die! It's too beautiful!"

"You're just too obsessed with that," Rylan said as they crossed the large yard in front of the castle. He gazed up at it. It's towers standing tall; the one in the middle sported the Red Haired Pirates flag. "I can't believe it's been so long since he first arrived here."

"He's going to be our children's godfather," Mira said.

"What?" Rylan shot his gaze to his wife causing the toe of his shoe to catch on the first step of the castle's porch. He fell forward, pain shooting through his knee when he hit the stone.

"Are you all right, sir?" the maid asked.

"Yes, I'm all right." Rylan stood back up.

"Then please come this way." The maid continued up the stairs to the two large double doors. Two guards stood outside of them. They grabbed the handles and pulled them open then bowed their head to the expecting couple as they passed through.

"I've made up my mind," Mira said.

"We have to ask Shanks first," Rylan said.

"He'll say yes," Mira said. "There's no way he'll say no."

"Only because he's afraid of you," Rylan murmured.

"What was that?" Mira glared.

"Nothing, dear," Rylan said. He turned his eyes to the castle. The maid was leading them down a long hallway. Several crystals sculptures, paintings, and plants decorated the hall. Soon the maid came to a door.

"Please, enter," she said while waving to the door. "Atlas will be here shortly. Enjoy the snacks that have been provided for you."

The couple stepped into the room. Lying out on the long rectangular table was an array of fruits, vegetables, and a few cookies. Two other maids were in the room. They poured two cups of steamy hot tea then left the room.

Mira sat down in one of the high back chairs with a heavy sigh. "I'm not ready for this. I can't be a mother."

"Of course you can," Rylan said as he sat down beside her. "You're a wonderful mother to Kailen."

"He's easy," Mira said. "He was out of the baby stage when we adopted him. And he's always taking care of himself."

"He'll be a good help in raising his little sibling," Rylan said.

"Or he'll despise his sibling for being a royal," Mira said.

"That won't happen," Rylan said. "He's a good boy. He'll be fine once he adjusts to the idea."

Mira opened her mouth to reply but was stopped by a knock on the door. She looked over to it as it opened up. A short man with white hair and a matching tapered beard walked in.

"Mira! Rylan!" the man said. "I have heard the wonderful news! My congratulations on conceiving a royal! This is really is a blessed day!"

Mira eyed him. Despite his pretty words and smiling lips, his eyes didn't shine like she thought they should.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear about this," Atlas said as he sat down at the head of the table. "I was starting to worry about all of the elementals that were growing more and more hostile. Again, I can't tell you how wonderful this is."

Mira desperately tired to hold back her on coming eye roll. Personally, she didn't see it as wonderful news. Babies were being born all the time. It's not like having a baby was a rare event. But having a royal was. She internally groaned. Already she loved their baby. She couldn't deny that and never would. Nothing would ever change that. It was just all the fuss that would come with having a royal that she didn't want to deal with. She scanned her eyes around the meeting room in the castle. It was a long room with long rectangular shaped table inside of it as well as several bookshelves that held important documents of their island and history, especially the history of the former royals that have lived here.

Forcing her eyes off the books, she looked back at the old man they were with. Atlas was wearing traditional purple robes that the castle experts always wore. Since royals were rare they needed someone else to help made decisions when it was necessary. Atlas was the head expert. So that's why they were meeting with him instead of the entire expert parliament.

"Yes, it is wonderful," Rylan said. "We're just having to adjust to it. It's quite a big shock."

Mira looked at her husband. He was always the calmer of the two. He had a good head on his shoulders. He was taking this a lot better than she was.

"As I'm sure it is. Though I do think we should inform the island right away," Atlas said. "We can have everyone gathered in two hours."

"That fast?" Rylan asked.

"The elementals are waiting and very curious," Atlas said. "Word has spread already all over the island about this. We need to confirm it-"

"Just do it then and get it over with," Mira said, feeling a headache already pounding behind her eyes.

"Very well." Atlas slipped in hands inside of his sleeves. "I'll have it announced right away. Is there anything you would like to say during the announcement?"

"No not really," Rylan said.

"Very well," Atlas said. "If there is nothing else you'd like to discuss." He started to stand up.

"There is," Mira said. "It's about what I'm going to say at the announcement."

"And that would be?" Atlas probed.

"I will not have our child being spoiled," Mira said. "And we are _not_ moving into the castle."

"But that is our custom for a royal," Atlas said. "They must live in the castle. It is their birthright."

"Well, it's not going to work for us," Mira said.

Atlas opened his mouth to object, but Rylan stopped him. "Don't even try. When Mira has her mind made up nothing can change it."

Atlas sat back in his chair. "Well, I guess I can understand that. If my son had been born a royal I don't think I'd like him being spoiled either."

"I'd say your son is already spoiled," Mira said.

"How so?" Atlas listed his head.

"He's water and a fire elemental," Mira said. "Those are rare as well. And I've seen how many looks he gets from the ladies."

"Ah, indeed," Atlas said. "But my wife, God rest her soul, didn't allow him to get a big head either. I have done my best to keep up her teaching."

"You have done well, Atlas," Rylan said.

"Yeah, well, as long as we understand each other there won't be a problem," Mira said.

"I do, but I cannot speak for the other elementals," Atlas said.

"I'll deal with them then," Mira said.

"Very well." Atlas stood up. "I shall prepare for the announcement. Please, feel free to roam around the castle and enjoy something to eat."

"Yeah, sure," Mira mumbled as the old man left the room.

"Try not to anger them," Rylan said.

"I don't care if they do get angered," Mira said. "Our child is going to be as normal as possible."

Rylan reached over and took her hand. "I know. And our baby will be."

"You know that's a lie," Mira said, squeezing his hand.

"I know," Rylan said. "But it sounded good."

Mira nodded. Unwilling to leave the room, they stayed right where they were. They would get an up close and personal tour of the castle soon enough. This wasn't the first time they had been inside. Anyone on Luminous could come into the castle and looked around. But only a royal, their family, and some servants could live inside of the castle.

The two hours passed slowly. When the time finally came, a soldier had come and got them. They stood up and followed the man out into the hall. Looking to her right, Mira saw the library at the end of the hall. She would love to get her hands on those books. And now she was going to be able to read all of them that she wanted. This castle was now a second home for them.

Far too soon they had reached the grand entry way to the castle. Maids and butlers bustled around, going in and out of doors and up the grand stair case that slip off into two separate stair cases that led up to the second level. Crystal sculptures were scattered along the walls accompanying the many paintings of the sea some artist was commissioned to do a couple thousand years ago. The entry way had filled up with tantalizing smells of the celebratory feast they were going to have. It was something else that came with having a royal. The celebrations were going to be big from now on.

The thought made Mira shiver. Crowds and loud parties were not in her comfort zone. She would much rather curl up in a corner and read a book. But that was temporarily going to become a favorite past event. She knew a lot of her time was going to be taken up once their baby was born. Her hand lifted to her stomach to where her bump was slowly starting to become more round. Touching her rounding flesh made this even more real. It was actually happening. They were having a baby.

The large doors were pushed open by two soldiers.

This was it. There was no turning back now. They stepped outside where Atlas was waiting for them on the porch. Stepping up to the railing, Mira looked out at the gathered elementals. They were chatting and whispering to each other, eager to hear the conformation that had been spreading around the island. Sweat gathered in her palms. It looked like the entire island population had come to hear this announcement.

"My fellow elementals!" Atlas boomed. "We call you here today to make a joyous announcement!"

A hush rushed over the crowd. Some moved in closer to the porch to make sure they wouldn't miss a single word of the announcement. Mira thought some of them would have came upon the porch if they could. But soldiers had been lined up on both sets of stairs that curved out from the porch and some were standing down on the ground a few yards in front of them. She scanned the crowd again, locating Kailen standing off from the group alone. The young boy was leaning against a tree, looking like he didn't want to be there. She felt bad for him. He still hadn't come to terms with having a royal as a sibling. She wasn't sure he was going to. And they still had no idea what to say to him to make him feel better.

"Rylan and Mira." Atlas gestured to the elemental couple. "Have conceived a royal!"

The crowd erupted with cheers and whistles.

Mira flinched at the noise. At least this part would soon be over.

"Please, give your full attention to them," Atlas said. "Mira would like to speak."

Mira drew in a breath then exhaled slowly to calm her nerves. "I'm going to make this short and simple. So listen carefully. I know this child I am now carrying is indeed a royal. And he or she will be receiving the royal treatment from you all. However, I will not allow you to spoil our baby. Our baby will be allowed to spend time in the castle, but will also live in our rightful home."

Like they expected, the elementals weren't every happy about that.

"But it is our royal!"

"Royals belong in the castle!"

"This isn't right!"

"This is right," Mira continued. "Think if it was your own child. Would you all really be happy to have them be unnecessarily spoiled?"

No one replied.

"I didn't think so," Mira said. "Then it had better be settled." She knew it wouldn't be. She knew people would still try to get her to move her family into the castle permanently. "You can argue with me all you want. But this is Rylan's child and mine. We will decide how he or she is raised."

"Now let's enjoy the feast in wondrous celebration!" Atlas announced when Mira didn't say anything farther. The crowds erupted again as the maids and butlers started to move the food outside.

Mira looked over at Kailen but found the boy was gone. She sighed. With all of her being, she hoped and prayed that this wouldn't damage him in any type of way.

…Three months later…

"Rylan!" Mira snapped. "I told you _not_ to move this pan!"

Rylan jumped when his wife picked up the pan and slammed it down on the counter. "I'm sorry. It was in the way."

"I don't care!" Mira said. "If I tell you to not do something, you better not doing it!"

"Yes, dear," Rylan said. He remained stiff as his wide stalked passed him and into the living room. He relaxed with a sigh. These mood swings Mira was having was really starting to get to him. The mood swings didn't come often, but when they did, they were intense. He had to remind himself over and over that this was just temporary. Everything would be back to normal in four months.

"I'm sorry." Mira came back in.

Rylan turned to her. Tears were streaking down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her. "It's all right."

"No! It's not!" Mira buried her face in his shirt. "I keep yelling at you for stupid stuff! I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right." Rylan stroke her hair. "This is normal. You know that. And I'm fine."

"You're so nice." She pulled back and glared up at him. "Stop being so nice."

Rylan chuckled. "I'm sorry."

"You really are amazing for putting up with me," Mira said.

"You're worth it," Rylan said before kissing her.

"Oh, I'm hungry," Mira said. "I want a fruit salad."

"You got it," Rylan said. He moved away from her and started getting her fruit salad ready. A few minutes later, Kailen wondered into the room. "Good morning, Kailen."

"Hey," Kailen said dully as he sat down at the table.

"We have another meeting with the mental healer," Mira said, sitting down as well. "We'd really like it if you'd join us."

"I have my lessons," Kailen said. "And a huge paper due in two days."

"Oh, okay." Mira smiled. "Maybe another time."

"Maybe," Kailen mumbled.

Mira exchanged looks with Rylan. Neither of them knew what to do for their son. He just kept getting more and more distant from them with each passing day.

"Breakfast is ready," Rylan said. Using his wind crystals, he placed everything out on the table then sat down himself. Silence fell over them as they ate their fruit salad.

…

"So nothing has changed with him," the mental healer said.

"That's right." Mira nodded. "He just keeps burying himself into his studies."

"I'm worried about him," Rylan said.

"That's understandable," the mental healer said. "This is a big change for you all. And even more so since you're having a royal. Just give him some more time. I'm sure he'll come around."

Mira slumped in her chair. She didn't like what the metal healer was saying. He was being no help at all where it concerned their son. She just didn't want to wait and see what happened. She wanted Kailen to love his sibling. It made her wonder how he was going to be once their baby was born. Would he still remain distance? Would he finally accept the baby? Or would he run off?

In an attempt to distract her from her worried thoughts, she looked around the room. It was, like all their buildings, made of crystals. This particular building was light blue. There were a few paintings up on the walls of pirate and Navy ships and a few plants scattered around the room. The mental healer sat across from them at his desk. There was also a couch in the room but they never used it. She wondered if anyone ever did since there were two chairs in front of the desk.

"Well, we thank you for seeing us again," Rylan said.

Mira brought her attention back to the two men. Their session had already ended. She was glad. It was starting to be very draining having to come here. She wanted to stop. They were already, more or less, settled into have a royal. Kailen was the only issue that still needed to be addressed. But no one seemed to know how to reach the boy.

"I am happy to help." The healer stood up and walked them to his door. "Don't hesitate to come see me at any point in time."

"Thank you," Rylan said before they left.

"That guy's a quack," Mira said once they were outside. The quiet of the building was replaced with the chattering of the elemental people as they buzzed around the town.

"He's just trying to help," Rylan said.

"Well, he's not," Mira said. "Telling us to just wait and Kailen will come around. He doesn't know for sure what will happen."

"That maybe true, but he does have a point," Rylan said. "Only time will tell how Kailen deals with having a sibling. He's a good kid. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I wish Shanks was here," Mira said. "Maybe he could get through to Kailen."

"It's been a while since he showed up," Rylan said. "They're about due for a visit."

"I hope they get here in time to see our baby." Mira placed her hand on her rounding stomach. "Which reminds me. We never did finish a certain conversation before."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Rylan took her hand and started walking.

"That would be how I want Shanks to be our children's godfather," Mira said.

"Right that one." Rylan looked at her.

"Yeah. That one." Mira nodded.

"Any particular reason for this?" Rylan asked.

"I want to know they'll be taken care of if we die," Mira said.

"Of course they will," Rylan said. "Our child is a royal after all. But having a pirate being their godfather? I'm not so sure the elementals would approve of that. You've already made a lot of changes as it is."

"I know," Mira said. "But I know that Shanks will raise our kids the way we want them to be raised. If we leave it up to the elementals, they'll spoil our kids rotten just because our baby is a royal."

"That's true," Rylan said. "All right. We'll have a talk about this when Shanks arrives."

"Good." Mira nodded. Now all that was left was to wait for Shanks to arrive. She dropped her hands down to her rounding stomach, wondering when they would arrive. She hoped, wished, and prayed that they would get here around the time their baby was born.


	2. Growing Up Royal P1

Growing Up Royal

Part One

The day was warm with the sun hanging over the island of Luminous. The birds were singing as joyful tune as the wind filled the large white of a pirate ship sailing directly towards the island that inhabited the elementals. Elementals stopped what they were doing when they spotted the ship that was making its way to their home. Most made their way down to the beach from the castle while others headed off to spread the word that pirates were going to land on their island.

Rylan had just walked out of the ward when a couple young elementals ran towards him screaming, "They're here! They're here!"

"Who's here?" Rylan asked.

"The Red Haired Pirates!" they screamed before running into the ward.

Rylan whipped his eyes to the beach. Sure enough he could see the white sails and the black pirate flag that wielded a skull with three red marks over its left eye. Red Hair Shanks and his crew were landing very soon. Taking off into a run, the man made his way down to the water. Halfway there, he summoned a wind crystal and lifted himself into the air. The sand crunched beneath his shoes when he landed on the beach.

The ship stopped moving. The anchor was dropped, splashing into the water as it fell. The pirates gathered to the edge of the ship, one of them throwing down a rope ladder. And then the captain of the Red Haired Pirates swung his leg over the railing and descended down to the island. Landing in the shallow waters, the pirate moved to the beach as his crew followed one by one. The pirate's intense eyes scanned the crowd before him until they landed on Rylan. A smile spread over his face. Holding out his arms, he said, "Friends! It is good to see you all again!"

"Shanks!" Rylan rushed forward to receive the first hug from the pirate captain. "I can't believe you actually arrived on this day!"

"I know." Shanks hugged the man back. "It's been far too long. So much has happened."

"You're telling me," Rylan said, pulling back from his friend he smiled at the rest of the crew. "Welcome back to Luminous."

"This place never changes," Benn said, scanning the island before him. "Always so fresh and green."

"So where's Mira?" Lucky Roo asked.

"Yeah," Yasopp added. "Usually she's already chasing after the captain with a pair of scissors to get a lock of his hair by now."

"Yeah, well," Rylan looked back in the direction of the ward, "she's unable to do that this time."

"Is something wrong?" Shanks asked. "Is she sick?"

"No, she's not sick," Rylan said, bringing his eyes back to the pirates. "She's actually going to have a baby real soon."

"What?!" Shanks exclaimed.

"You and Mira are having a baby?" Lucky Roo asked.

"We are." Rylan nodded. "I just came from the ward. She's been having contractions since last night."

"Now that you mention it, you do look exhausted," Yasopp said eyeing the man's tired face.

"So why are you out here?" Benn asked.

"Because Mira was becoming hostile to even me," Rylan said. "I needed a break. I think we both did."

"I can understand that," Benn said. "Mira is a handful on a normal day. She must be like a tyrant now."

"You have no idea." Rylan rubbed his neck.

"Is there something else?" Shanks asked, noting the man's odd behavior. "How's Kailen? Is something wrong with him? Where is the boy?"

"Well, he's having trouble adjusting to the thought of having a royal sibling," Rylan said. "I think he's worried that we're not going to love him once our daughter has arrived."

"You're having a girl?! That's amazing!" Shanks said with a bright smile. "I can't want to see her!" he took a deep breath and exhaled. "But I'm sorry to hear about Kailen. Maybe I can talk to him about it."

"If anyone can reach him it'll be the captain," Lucky Roo said.

"I'll take whatever you can give him," Rylan said. "He's out in the cove on the east side of the island."

"His favorite sulking place," Benn said.

"I'll see what I can do and meet you all at the ward," Shanks said heading off towards the young boy's hiding place.

"Let's go then." Rylan nodded then leaded the way back to the ward. Just as they entered into the building they heard Mira's shout bouncing off the walls.

"I'm going to kill him for doing this to me!"

"Dang!" Yasopp said. "I never knew she had such powerful lungs!"

"The pains of childbirth will do that to a woman," Rylan said. He had to force his feet to move on towards the delivery on the east wing, leaving several of the pirates in the waiting room of their own choice. Opening the door, he peaked inside. Mira was lying on the bed like she had been when he went for his walk. Her face was red and she was sweating. Basically she looked awful, but there was no way he was going to say that out loud. He wanted to live long enough to meet their baby girl. "Hey, honey, do you feel like company? Some very special guests have arrived."

"Guests?" Mira asked. "You've got to be kidding! Now?! I look horrible!"

"Guests should wait in the waiting room," Healer Zinnia said. "This is a delivery room."

"I know, but it has been a long while since these guests have been here," Rylan said.

"Who…" Mira's eyes widened. "It's the Red Haired Pirates! Let them in!"

"Hey!" Yasopp said as he, Benn, and Lucky Roo entered into the room.

"I can't believe it! You're actually here!" Mira said relaxing back on her pillows.

"You look amazing," Yasopp said, leaning into kiss her cheek.

"Liar," Mira said, kissing him back.

"It's not a lie." Yasopp smiled.

"You do look amazing," Lucky Roo said. "Congratulations, you two."

"Thank you, Roo," Mira said, relaxing in her pillow. "Where are Shanks and the others?"

"The captain when to speak with Kailen while the others are waiting in the waiting room," Yasopp said. "I think the thought of coming back here makes them nervous."

"Those cowards," Mira said.

"I think you might be right," Yasopp said with a laugh.

"Can face down marines and pirates and the deathly sea but can't handle a little-AH!" Mira screamed as her body was wracked with another contraction. Grabbing the railings of the bed she continued screaming.

"Mira." Rylan rushed over to her.

"I need to ask you all to leave now," Healer Zinnia said pushing up her glasses. She eyed the reading of the contractions on the crystal machine. "It shouldn't be much longer now. You can see them after the delivery."

"All right," Yasopp said. He kissed Mira again before heading for the door with Lucky Roo and Benn. "We'll see you later."

…

Shanks knew the terrain rather well considering their visits to this island were far and few in between. He made his way down the beach his crew headed for the ward without him. Part of him really wanted to go see Mira, but he knew this was more important at the moment. With the seagulls calling and the waves swiping against the sand, he made his way down the beach for half a mile before cutting up into the thick forest. From there it was another fifteen minutes of walking until he managed to reach the cove. Stepping out from behind a large bush he spotted the young boy sitting on top of some rocks that lined this side of the island. He watched as the boy picked up small stones and threw them into the sea before walking over and sitting down beside him. "Mind if I join you?"  
"I don't care." Kailen threw another rock. It plunked into the water.

"This is really a big change, isn't it?" Shanks asked.

"I guess." Kailen shrugged. He tossed another rock.

"I know how you feel," Shanks said.

"How could you? Did you live with a royal?" Kailen asked, another rock plunked into the water and sank in the dark depths.

"No, but I did grow up with siblings," Shanks said. "And believe me, I was none to happy when my parents told me they were having a baby. I felt like they didn't love me anymore because all they could do was talk about and prepare for the baby. I felt even more isolated when my brother had been born. They spent so much time with him and seem to hardly noticed me."

"So what did you do?" Kailen asked.

"I started acting out and got into a lot of trouble," Shanks said. "I really put my parents through a lot until they realized what I was doing. Then they changed things. They started involving more in with taking care of my brother and they set aside special time to spend with me."

"Is there a point to this?" Kailen asked looking at the red haired man.

"I know you're still adjusting to being in this new family," Shanks said. "And having a royal as a sibling isn't going to make it any easier. Your sibling is going to be getting a lot of attention and you're not."

"Not really," Kailen said. "Mira has already told the whole island that we're not moving in the castle permanently."

"I'm not surprised," Shanks said. Picking up a rock he tossed it into the sea. "So tell me what's on your mind."

Kailen sighed. He turned his eyes to the water and thought about what's really going on inside of him. They sat there for several minutes before he finally spoke up. "I'm scared I guess. I keep thinking that they won't need or want me here anymore with their own child around. I mean my dad didn't want me. And my mother died."

"If a man runs out on their child then they're not worthy of you. And you know your mother loved you. She knew you would be happy and safe with Mira and Rylan. You _are_ their child, Kailen," Shanks said.

"But I don't feel like it," Kailen said.

"I see," Shanks said. "But you are a part of their family. And this will only cement that more. They'll be looking for you to be the best big brother you can be. And I know you'll want to protect your sibling. It's a natural thing to do after all."

"Maybe," Kailen said. "Maybe not."

"There's only one way to find out for sure," Shanks said. "Give it a chance."

Kailen mulled over the man's word for several minutes before saying, "And what if the baby doesn't like me?"

"Why wouldn't the baby like you?" Shanks asked. "You've an amazing kid. You're studying to be a healer. And you are already skilled at it. Your sibling is going to look up to you for sure."

Kailen sighed. "All right. Let's go see."

"That's a good lad," Shanks said. He ruffled the boy's hair before they stood up and headed back to the ward.

"Hey!" a voice called out.

The two stopped and looked up through a break in the trees just in time to see a wind elemental nurse from the ward. She wrapped her winds around them and pulled them above the trees. "Rylan sent me to find you."

"Is something wrong?" Shanks asked.

"Is Mira all right? She's not…" Kailen trailed off.

"The baby has been born," she said with a bright smile.

"And?" Kailen asked his heart pounding against his chest while his head became light. "It is a girl, right?"

"Your mother asked me not to tell you anything except that the baby is fine and so is your mother," she said. "Both are healthy."

"That's so good." Kailen drew in a long breath.

"Take us there," Shanks said.

"Yes, sir." The nurse nodded and flew them back to the ward within a few seconds.

Landing in front of the green crystal building, Kailen rushed inside. Sensing out where his parents were, he bolted down the east wing that held the maternity ward. The door was already part way open. He flung it open all the way, causing it to bang against the wall. A baby's cry filled the room from the unexpected noise. His eyes locked onto the small bundle in Mira's arms making him unaware of the pirates and healer in the room.

"Kailen," Mira said. "Come meet your sister."

"S-sister?" Kailen asked. "So I do have a sister?"

"Yeah." Rylan nodded. "She's been waiting to see you."

Kailen swallowed. His mind told his legs to move but they didn't listen.

"I think he's a little shocked," Shanks said with a laugh.

"Yeah." Lucky Roo nodded. "Give him a shove to get going, Captain."

Smiling, Shanks placed his hand on the kid's back and gave him a gently shove.

Kailen's legs responded and he started moving towards the bed. The baby's cries settled down by the time he had reached it. A soft gasp escaped his lips when he saw how small she was. The blanket was almost too larger for her. Her tiny hands were nestled against her pink cheeks. "She's so tiny. Is she really all right? Is she okay? Did something happen during birth?"

"She maybe small, but she is healthy," Healer Zinnia said. "She's five pounds and seventeen inches long."

"Would you like to hold her now?" Mira asked.

"No!" Kailen shook his head. "I couldn't. I don't want to hurt her."

"It's all right, Kailen," Rylan said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're right here. And you're not going to hurt her."

Kailen glanced up at the man before choosing to sit on the bed. Facing Mira, he waited for her to place the baby in his arms.

"Kailen meet Neo," Mira said passing the baby over. "Neo this is your older brother, Kailen. Hold her head now. That's it."

The sweet scent of his sister rose up to him when she landed in his arms. His body stiffened up in response and worry that he might drop her. She felt like she weight less then five pounds. A strange feeling rushed over him when he saw her electric blue eyes glancing up at him. Heat swelled up in his chest. Neo yawned as her eyes fell closed. "She's so tiny. Are you sure she's going to be fine?"

"I assure you, Kailen," Healer Zinnia said sticking her hands in her lab coat. "Your sister is going to be just fine. Sometimes babies are born small. But I have checked her multiple times. She's as healthy as any baby I've delivered. Now, if you all will excuse me, I have other patients that need my attention." She headed for the door. "I'll stop by later to check on you."

"Thank you, Healer Zinnia," Mira said.

The healer nodded with a smile then left the room, closing the door behind her.

"She's beautiful," Shanks said moving closer to the bed. "She looks like the perfect blend of both you two." He ran his fingers over Neo's light blue fuzz. "Her hair is so blue. It's like the sky."

"I wonder who her personality is going to be most like," Benn said. "Rylan or Mira's."

"I'm hoping she's like Mira," Lucky Roo said. "That way they can have mother daughter attempts at the captain's hair."

"Hey!" Shanks snapped. "It's bad enough to have one crazy woman running after me trying to cut my hair off! I don't need two!"

Laughter filled the room.

"I think it'll be funny to see," Rylan said.

"Not you too!" Shanks said.

"That reminds me," Mira said. "I still need to take after your hair before you leave." She gave Shanks an innocent look. "When are you leaving?"

"Right now!" Shanks said, earning more laughs.

"Oh, relax," Mira said leaning back on her pillows. "I'm too exhausted to chase after you. I'll get you next time."

"Great." Shanks' shoulders drooped. "That's something to look forward to."

"So do you think Kailen is going to let anyone else hold her?" Lucky Roo asked.

"Probably not," Benn said. "Looks like he's lost in her charms already."

"There, there," Kailen said rocking his sister a tiny bit and oblivious to everyone else around him. "I've got you. You sleep well."

"So how are you working things out with the people here since your baby is a royal?" Shanks said. "Have you driven them crazy yet with all the rules I know you've set up? Kailen has already mentioned you're not going to let her live in the castle all the time."

"He knows me well." Mira smiled.

"We're still working some things out," Rylan said. "But we have reached an agreement where we spend the first week of Neo's life in our home then we'll move into the castle during the week of the royal medallion coronation and then we'll go back home for a while."

"Will you be able to stay for a while?" Mira asked.

"We can stay for a few weeks," Shanks said, looking at Neo. "I want to get to know this little cutie before we set sail again. Besides I'm sure we all would love to see her medallion coronation." He bent over and stroked his finger over the sleeping baby's sun kissed skin. "You're just too cute."

"Would you like to hold her?" Kailen asked.

"Are you sure?" Shanks' eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Yeah." Kailen nodded and gently handed over his sister to the pirate. "I'm going to get to see her grow up. You and the crew are only going to be able to see her occasionally."

"There, there," Shanks said when Neo fussed a little before settling down in his arms. "That's a good girl."

"Seems like she prefers to be cuddled," Lucky Roo said.

"Newborns are like that," Benn said. "It comes from living in such a small space for months."

"There is something we would like to discuss with you, Shanks," Rylan said.

"What is it?" Shanks asked not taking his eyes of the baby.

"Do we need to leave?" Benn asked.

"No, that's not necessary," Mira said.

"We've been thinking about this for a long while," Rylan said, earning a nod from Mira. He sat down on the bed with her. "And we would like you to be Neo and Kailen's godfather."

"What?" Shanks asked looking up at them. "Are you sure?"  
"We are." Mira nodded.

"Wow. I'd be honored," Shanks said.

Through the rest of the day and into the next presents from the elementals flooded into the ward for the newborn princess.

"This is insane!" Mira said shoving a wood carved rocking horse to the wall. "I told them not to bring all these presents! Our baby isn't even a full day old and they're already spoiling her!"

"I don't think I've ever seen so many gifts. They're even spilling out into the hall. And a ton of them have already been delivered to Neo's room in the castle." Kailen picked up a vase full of roses and moved it to the corner of the wardroom. He turn and scanned his eyes over the multitude of stuff animals, flowers, and handmade gifts their people brought for Neo's birth. He went to move some more stuff but was redirected to his sister when she started crying. Picking her up from her small crystal crib, he rocked her in his arms, but she didn't stop crying. "There, there. She's not wet."

"She's probably hungry," Mira said. "I should feed her now."

"I'll take some more stuff to the castle." Kailen handed Neo over to their mother. He kissed his sister's head. "Shanks and the others should be back any time now."

"We're back!" Rylan announced as he and Shanks opened the door.

"Someone sounds fussy," Shanks said.

"She's hungry," Mira said.

"Right." Shanks grabbed two vases. "We'll just take a few more of these and get out of your way."

"Sweet baby. We'll be back later to take you home," Rylan said before kissing his crying child's forehead. He then kissed his wife, grabbed some stuffed animals, and left with Shanks and Kailen.

"See you later." Kailen grabbed a couple woven blankets and left the room.

With a tired sigh, Mira sat back down on her bed, unbutton her shirt, and started nursing Neo. Once Neo had her fill, she placed the baby back in her crib then decided to take a nap while Neo slept. A tap at the door woke her up about an hour later. "Yes?"

"So how's the princess doing today?" Healer Zinnia asked entering into the room.

"Ready to go home," Mira said. "As am I."

Healer Zinnia pulled out some crystal patches from her pocket. She placed one on each of Neo's wrists, her forehead, over her lungs and her stomach. She then summoned one crystal of her own and engulfed the others in her glow. The results flashed across the crystal monitor in the room. "Good, good. Her pulse is strong. Her lungs are strong. And her stomach sounds good too." She removed the patches. "How is she nursing?"

"Good," Mira said.

"And she's getting enough sleep?" Healer Zinnia asked.

"She is." Mira nodded.

"And how are you feeling?" Healer Zinnia looked at the woman.

"I'm doing fine," Mira said. "Just ready to get back home."

"I'm sure you are. Well, everything seems to be in order them. You're free to go home whenever you feel like it," Healer Zinnia said. "Be sure to summon me if anything comes up."

"Glad to hear it," Mira said. "And we will."

"I know it's going to be difficult, but do try and rest," Healer Zinnia said. "Both of you are still healing from the labors of childbirth."

"You should tell that to everyone else," Mira said waving a hand through the air. "I can already see them intruding on us at home. The gifts won't stop coming."

"If it gets too much you know you can always put some guards around your house," Healer Zinnia said. "They're here to protect the princess and her family."

"Yes, I know." Mira nodded. "I'll think about it."

"Have a good day then." Healer Zinnia left the room.

Mira picked Neo back up and leaned back against her pillows. She snuggled her baby and enjoyed the peace before Rylan, Kailen, and Shanks returned. Rylan stuck his head in and said, "Just making sure you're descent."

"Come in," Mira said. They walked in. "Healer Zinnia said we can leave now."

"You ready to go then?" Shanks asked.

"I sure am," Mira said.

"How's my baby sister doing?" Kailen asked while gently rubbing her tummy. He eyed the light blue shirt she was wear. It had a single white cloud on it. It was one of the shirts he bought for her. He was surprised earlier that day when Mira said Neo was wearing that shirt home. He had expected her to put Neo in one of the dresses the dressmaker made. He should have known better.

"Would you like to carry her home?" Mira asked.

"Would that be all right?" Kailen asked.

"Of course it's all right," Mira said with a smile.

Kailen smiled back and picked up his sister. "I'm ready."

"Let's go then," Rylan said as they exited the room.

"So how many people are waiting outside?" Mira asked.

"Too many," Rylan said.

"But don't worry," Shanks said. "We've got this covered."

"I feel so much better," Mira said rolling her eyes. Her eyes widened when they stepped outside and found half of the pirates formed a square around the door. Murmurs passed through the elementals. "What's going on?"  
"We're going home," Rylan said. He summoned a wind crystal and lifted their small group into the air. "Hold on tight to Neo, Kailen."  
"I've got her." Kailen summoned a crystal and wrapped a vine around his arms and Neo to make sure he had a good hold on her. A minute later they landed at their home. And like at the ward the other half of the pirates formed a barrier around their door so they could go inside undisturbed.

"There she is!"

"I want to see the princess!"

"She's so beautiful!"

"Good grief." Mira opened the door and rushed inside. She dropped onto the couch with a huff. "Finally we're home. I think I need a nap."

"You should rest then," Rylan said.

"The crew's going to stay outside for a while," Shanks said. "So you won't be bothered."

"Can I take her up to her room?" Kailen asked.

"Of course." Mira sprawled out on the couch.

"Let's go see your room." Kailen headed up the stairs. Reaching the top he showed Neo their parents room before heading down the hall. "That's where our parents sleep. We're at the other end of the hall. But don't worry. You'll be safe. We'll hear you cry. And here's your room."

Kailen stepped into the room and showed her around it. He walked to her crystal crib that had a few stuff animals in it then over to the bay window that had small bookshelves built into it, and finally to the rocking chair which he sat down on. "Our mother loves to read. When they constructed this house she made sure to put bookshelves in all the rooms. I wonder if you'll get her love for reading. Until then I'll read all the books you want."

He smiled as Neo stared up at him seemingly understanding what he was saying. "You don't have anything to worry about, little sister. I'm always going to be by your side. I promise."

…

For the next several nights Kailen woke up to the sounds of his sister crying. His heart thumped against his chest as he scrambled out of bed and into Neo's room. There he found Mira walking around the room with Neo in her arms. "She okay?"

"Yeah." Mira yawned. "She was hungry but now she just won't go back to sleep."

"You look exhausted," Kailen said eyeing Mira's tried eyes. "Why don't I stay up with her for a while?"

"You need your sleep as well," Mira said. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I want to do it," Kailen said. "I want to help take care of her."

"Well, if you really want to," Mira said. "I just don't want you to lose sleep by feeling you have to stay up with her."

"I do want to do this." Kailen nodded. "I'm her big brother after all. She probably just wants to be cuddled."

"Maybe you're right," Mira said.

"It's about four in the morning," Kailen said. "And you're going to be home all day tomorrow by yourself since I'm gone for my lessons and Dad's going to be at the restaurant. Get as much sleep as you can now."

"But you have your lessons tomorrow," Mira said. "I can't let you stay up all night."

"I'm fine," Kailen said. "Besides it's a light day tomorrow."

"Oh, all right." Mira laid Neo in his arms. "But if I gets too much for you come get us."

Kailen nodded. He watched their mom leave before sitting down in the rocking chair. "All right, you. Time to settle down."

Humming, Kailen rocked her as she snuggled into his embrace.

…One Week Later…

Mira tapped her fingertips on her arms, the toe of her shoe tapping in rhythm with them. In an attempt to keep herself busy, she scanned her eyes around the room. It was Neo's castle room. It had a ridiculously large, rounded bed with two steps leading up to it, a large bathroom to the left of the main doors completely with a large tub, closet, vanity, and a showerhead hanging over the tug. To her right was the bay window. It was also large and over looked the sea. Several colorful pillows decorated the bay window bed.

She stood near the window, occasionally taking glances at the pirate ship. She pulled her eyes back and watched as the two maids dressed her baby in the white gown that had been specially made for this particular occasion. Each time Neo fussed she had to practically nail her feet to the floor. As her sweet baby fussed a lot when she wasn't being cuddled or wasn't sleeping. It surprised her that Lucky Roo was right about Neo being a cuddlier. And she didn't think it had anything to do with the tight space of a womb. She knew it didn't have anything to do with that. She could tell that her baby was a cuddlier and would always be.

"There you go, Princess," one of the maids said. "You're all ready for your coronation."

"Finally," Mira said walking over to her baby. She picked Neo up from the maid and held her to her chest. The dress was way too long for a baby. It hung a foot from her small feet and had way too many sparkling sequins decorating the pleats and too many frills along the edges. A cotton soft makeshift crown was over Neo's head since a newborn was far too young to wear a real crown. That would come later when Neo's head wasn't so soft from birth. It was just all show really. A soon as a royal is born they technically have the right to lead the country. But since a baby can't do that, the parents often did with the help of the expert parliament. A royal's intelligence would decide when they would finally take the throne officially. So she and Rylan had no idea when that would actually happen.

A knock came on the door before the guards outside opened it. Kailen and Rylan, dressed in black suites walked into the room. Kailen rushed over to Neo. He took her small hand over his finger. "How's she doing?"

"She's fine," Mira said eyeing her two boys. "My, you two look handsome."

"And you two look beautiful." Rylan kissed Mira's lips before kissing Neo's forehead. "Light green has always looked good on you."

"Have you seen Shanks and the crew?" Mira asked.

"They're outside with everyone else," Rylan said.

"I wish this was over with already," Mira said.

"It will be soon," Rylan said.

Mira frowned at him. "Are you kidding? We have to stand through a boring ceremony just to place a necklace on our daughter. Then we have to sit around for hours accepting gifts that Neo will never use and don't even need all the while listen to people tell us how cute she is while stuffing their faces."

"But she is cute," Kailen said. "Isn't that right, Neo? You're by far the cutest baby ever to have been born."

Neo smiled and curled her tiny fingers around her finger.

"See? She agrees," Kailen said.

Mira rolled her eyes. "Or she just passed some gas."

"No, she knows she's cute," Kailen said. "Just watch her use that to her advantage when she gets older."

"She won't if it's not encouraged." Mira gave Kailen a pointed look then gave one to her husband. "And don't you to dare teach her to do such a thing."

Another knock came on the door. It opened revealing another maid. She bowed and said, "Everyone is ready for the princess."

"Fine. Let's get this over with already." Mira sighed. She led the way out of the room. With her two boys by her sides they made their way down the crystal hall then down the stairs. Two guards were standing on each side of the doors leading outside. As they got closer the doors were opened and they stepped outside on the porch. Elementals were everywhere on the ground and in the sky by use of their wind or earth crystals. Guards were placed on both staircases and down on the ground in case someone wanted to get out of control. She cringed at all their eyes staring at her and her family.

"Just relax," Rylan said. "Focus on the pirates. That'll help you."

"Right. The pirates." Stepping up to the railing, Mira spotted Shanks and his crew right in front of everyone else. She smiled to see they were still in their typical clothes. It made her wish she had done the same. But she caved and put on the dress that was made for this occasion. The tight bodice was cutting into her ribs and the off the shoulder sleeves were driving her crazy. She wanted to pull them up over her shoulders.

Atlas then walked out of the castle, dressed in ceremonial purples robes. Behind him a young boy was carrying a white pillow with Neo's birth medallion laying on it. The medallion was silver with her name carved into it. Each of her crystals was place on each corner of the diamond shaped medallion.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Atlas said, throwing out his hands, "I welcome you to the medallion ceremony for our newest royal."

The crowds erupted into cheers.

Neo jumped and cried at the loud noises.

"Neo," Kailen said lightly touching her head. He shot a glare out towards the people. "It's all right. They won't hurt you."

Neo settled back down.

"That's a good baby," Mira said rocking the baby a bit.

"This is a special occasion as it has been centuries since we have had a royal. I know you all must be concerned about the darkness crystals, but it has already been taken care of," Atlas said. "So there is nothing to fear. We are here to celebrate. And by placing this birth medallion on the royal's neck, we all bear witness to this monumental occasion." He took the two ends of Neo's medallion, lifted it off the pillow, and placed it around her neck. "Ladies and gentlemen, I officially welcome and present Princess Neo of Luminous to you all!"

The crowds roared.

Neo jumped again at the loud unwanted sound. She fussed and wiggled until her mom wrapped her arms tighter around her little body.

"There, there," Mira said. "It's all right. The noise is almost over."

"Jerks," Kailen grumbled under his breath. "They should know better than to scare my little sister."

"They're just excited," Rylan said. "And you can't really blame them considering who Neo is."

"I can blame them. And I do." Kailen crossed his arms over his chest.

"Someone's protective," Mira said with a smile.

Kailen gave a firm nod.

"Excuse me," a maid said. The family turned to her. She was holding her hand out to three chairs that had been placed on the porch for them. "If you would please take a seat the banquet will be starting."

"Of course." Rylan nodded. With his arm around Mira's shoulders he guided them over to the chairs. The moment they sat down the maid summoned one of her water crystals. It started to glow and the crystal porch started shifting. A table grew up in front of them. The maid bowed and headed inside as other maids and butlers started carrying out trays of food and drink.

"Great party," Shanks said joining them on the porch. A maid summoned him a chair and he sat down. He nodded a thanks to her then elbowed Rylan. "You just need some booze, right, Rylan?"

"Very funny," Rylan said rolling his eyes. "I never want to see another drop of that stuff."

"What? Don't like losing control of your magic?" Shanks smirked.

Rylan smiled and shook his head. "I'll never understand why humans like losing control of themselves like that. I had the worst headache ever after that time."

"I never would have guessed such a thing could happen to someone," Shanks said. "I wonder what exactly happens to make you lose control of your magic like that. You about ripped up the island with all those mini tornados."

Neo fussed and shifted in Mira's arms.

"Oh, poor baby," Shanks said. "Are we ignoring you?" He tickled her chin before Mira passed her over to him. He held her snuggly as the elementals started coming up a couple at a time to present their gifts to the princess.

Mira sighed and slumped in her chair. "Wonderful. More gifts she doesn't need."

"Don't worry," Rylan said. "We'll give a most of it to the orphans."

"That's a great idea," Mira said.

"So how much longer are you staying, Shanks?" Kailen asked. He picked up a slice of apple and chewed it.

"For a few more days," Shanks said. "As much as I'd love to stay and get to know her better, we really need to get back to the sea."

"Come back as often as you can, okay?" Kailen said.

"Don't worry, Kailen," Shanks said. "We will come back as much as we can. Huh? What's that?"

"What's what?" Mira glanced at him. Then she saw it. Four of Neo's five crystals appeared around her. "She's showing her crystals! Those are her element crystals!"

"Wow," Shanks said.

"She really is powerful," Rylan said. "Babies usually don't show their crystals this early."

"That just means she's really special," Shanks said. "She's going to have a wonderful life."


	3. Growing Up Royal P2

Growing Up Royal

Part Two

"Come on, Neo," Kailen said while holding onto Neo's hands. "Walk to Mom and Dad."

"Come to us, Neo," Rylan said.

"Come to Mommy," Mira said.

Kailen glanced over at their parents. Both were kneeling on the floor. Mira had her hands out in front of her, trying to entice Neo to come to her. He looked down just as Neo looked up at him. His heart fluttered when she smiled at him. "I know you can do it, Neo. You can walk."

"Kaka," Neo said.

"You can do it." Kailen nodded. He remembered the first time she said his name. It was like magic itself. Of course she said Mama first and then Dada, but it still warmed his heart when she said a version of his name.

Neo looked back to their parents. Releasing Kailen's hands she took a small step forward. Her body wobbled but she remained on her feet. The three older elementals gasped. They waited patiently as she took another step, then another step, and another until she was finally in her mom's arms.

"You did it!" Mira hugged Neo. Tears gathered in her eyes. "Our baby is walking now!"

"Does this mean she'll be getting her wings soon?" Kailen asked.

"It's a possibility," Rylan said.

"She's growing up so fast," Kailen said. "I wish Shanks and the others were here to see this. They would absolutely love it."

"I'm sure they're wishing the same exact thing," Rylan said. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay here and watch our daughter walk around all day long, we need to get to the restaurant. It's about time to open."

"Oh, that stinks," Mira said. "I wish we could take more time off. Will you be fine with watching her today?"

"Of course." Kailen nodded. "I was thinking about taking her over to the orphanage. That way she can get exposed to other kids and learn how to share."

"Good idea," Rylan said. "How did you think of that?"  
"I've been reading up on babies." Kailen shrugged. "I know it's important they learn how to share at a young age and get socialized."

"Well, you know where we are if you need us," Mira said.

"We'll be fine." Kailen picked Neo up. He watched their parents leave before grabbing the diaper bag off the couch and headed out himself. Stepping outside he was bombard by some local women.

"Good morning, Princess," a woman said. "And to you, Kailen."

"Yes. Good morning, ladies," Kailen said.

"The princess is looked happy as ever," another woman said.

"She certainly is. You know I have the cutest dress for her. I should have brought it with me."

"Oh! I bet so! You always had a good taste in clothes!"

"That's nice of you. You can just bring it by later," Kailen said.

"So where are you two heading off today?" the first woman asked.

"I'm taking Neo over to the orphanage for a while," Kailen said.

"Oh, no," the woman said placing a hand to her cheek. "That is not a place for royalty to be."

"You can't be serious." Kailen frowned.

"There are much better places for a baby to play," she said. "The aristocrats of Luminous would love for the princess to come see them."

"I'm sure they will," Kailen said. He forced back the desire to roll his eyes. "If you will excuse us. We're late."

"Of course."

Kailen brushed around the women. Once far enough away from them he said, "Don't worry, Neo. I won't let ol' bitties like that influence you. There's nothing wrong with spending time with orphans. Technically, I'm one as well. Or I think so. I have no idea if my dad is alive or not."

Neo cooed and patted his cheek with her hand.

"I'm all right," Kailen said. "I don't miss him or anything. I don't even remember him."

The sounds of children laughing made him pause. Scanning his eyes around the neighborhood, he turned and headed into the forest. Despite them being able to sense her he wanted to try and avoid as many people as he possible could. He rushed through the woods until he came upon the area where one of the local orphanages was located. A smile came to his face when he saw that the younger ones were outside with the man, Ortiz, who took care of them. He walked towards the yard and greeted the old man when they were noticed. "Good morning."

"Yes, good morning," the man said. He stood from his chair and smoothed down his spotted grey hair. "Well, this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting the princess to come for a visit. I would have gotten the kids clean up."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Ortiz," Kailen said. "This isn't a formal visit or anything. I just wanted Neo to get exposed around other kids."

"Oh, that makes sense," Ortiz said. "Then you are welcome. And I must thank you and your family for sending over those gifts. The children love them."

"We're happy to help." Kailen placed Neo down near a pile of blocks, sat down, and started playing with them. Sensing water and fire together, both Kailen and Ortiz turned to find Tao standing close by.

"Oh my," Ortiz said. "I hope nothing happened."

"No," Kailen said. "It's just an agreement that Mom has set up with Atlas. When we go out at least one guard is going to be near. Why I don't know. There's no one here that would harm Neo. Even if there was everyone else would be there to stop it."

"Precaution is never a bad thing," Ortiz said.

"Maybe," Kailen said. "But it's driving Mom crazy. At least they're staying out of the house like they promised."

"Been a bit crazy with a royal in the family, huh?" Ortiz asked.

"It is." Kailen nodded.

"I can sympathize," Ortiz said. "I am descended from a royal as well. He wrote a lot about it in his journal. He even wrote about the woman he loved and how it killed him when they were torn apart."

"Really?" Kailen said. "What happened?"

"Difference in classes," Ortiz said. "The parents didn't like whom their child chose to be with."

"Oh." Kailen ducked his head. "I'm sorry to hear about that."

"Don't worry about it," Ortiz said. "I would love to hope that our people have learned from that experience and won't force a bonded pair apart, but I fear that is not the case."

Kailen nodded again. He knelt down when Neo tapped his leg with a block then held up her arms to be picked up. "Neo, you're supposed to be playing with the other kids."

"Kaka," Neo said.

Kailen chuckled. He sat down so she could crawl on his lap. A few of the orphans walked over carrying toys. They placed them on the ground as if they were a gift to their princess. "That's very sweet of you. But Neo's not here to take your toys. She's here to play with you."

Ortiz sat back down in his chair.

"See?" Kailen picked up one of the toys and started playing with them all. A couple hours passed before they were interrupted.

"Oh, I didn't expect the princess to be here."

Kailen turned to find an orange haired, fire elemental walking out of the house.

"Topaz," Ortiz said. "I didn't expect you back so soon."

"Lessons ended early," Topaz said. She smiled at Kailen. "I'm learning to be a maid at the castle."

"Really?" Kailen said.

"Yes." Topaz nodded. "I enjoy taking care of others." She picked up a kid when the child ran over to her. "I figured I could offer my services since Ortiz won't let me stay here forever."

Ortiz laughed. "As much as I'd love to have you stay with me forever, it's just not possible. I've raised you to have a mind of your own. And so you can take care of yourself. It's coming closer to the time for you to be independent."

"I know, I know," Topaz said. "But I still plan on helping out here when I can."

"I guess we'll see you are a lot then," Kailen said.

"Most likely." Topaz nodded. She knelt down in front of Neo and bowed. "Princess, it's so good to see you."

"Ah!" Neo handed over the block she was holding to Topaz.

Topaz giggled. Settling in she started playing with all of the children. Everything was going well until Neo's wings sprouted out on her back. Before anyone could react she flicked her blue ombre wings and rose into the air.

"Neo! Get back down here!" Kailen demanded. His heart slammed into his chest. His mind raced with all kinds of thoughts of her not being able to control her wings. She could plummet to the ground or slam into a tree. He tried to remember how long it took royals to gain full control over their wings. It wouldn't come to him.

Neo giggled. Her wings flittered, her body bounced up and down with the inexperienced wings.

"Princess!" Tao rushed over. "You cannot be flying like this! Please, come back down to us!"

"We have to get her down before she falls!" Topaz said. "Kailen! You're an earth elemental! Pull her down with a vine!"

"Oh! Right!" Kailen summoned an earth crystal. Threading out a vine, he wrapped it around his sister's ankle and pulled her back down to his arms. "Good grief. You scared me. I didn't think you'd get your wings this quick. And I didn't think you'd take off like that."

"It can be so random when a royal can get and use their wings," Ortiz said.

"At least she's all right," Topaz said eyeing the blue ombre wings. They were dark on the outer edges and completely faded away where they attacked to her back. "They're so pretty. If I know my wings correctly they're swallowtails."

"It might be best if you take her home now," Ortiz said.

"Why?" Kailen asked.

"She'll want to test out her wings now that she has them," Tao said. "And it's best to do that where she's in a safe, confined area. You can use your earth crystals to create padding around the house."

"That's right! I forgot about that!" Kailen said. "I'm sorry to have to cut our visit short today."

"Think nothing of it." Ortiz waved his hand. "We understand."

"You can come back any time," Topaz said. "We would love to see her again."

"Thank you." Kailen nodded to them then headed off with Tao at his side.

"If you don't mind I would like permission to come inside your house," Tao said.

"Why?" Kailen looked at him.

"The princess might be more than you can handle now that she has her wings," Tao said. "You are, after all, still a kid yourself."

Kailen frowned. He really didn't want Tao to come in but he had to admit the young man had a point. He had already forgotten the information he had read about a royal's wings. And he panicked when he saw Neo flying, so much so that he forgotten his own abilities. "All right. Just until our parents come home."

"Understood." Tao nodded.

Entering into the house, Kailen summoned his crystals and looked around the room. "Let's see. What first?"

"Cover the kitchen door and the stairs," Tao said. "We'll keep her in the living room for now."

"Okay." Kailen engulfed his crystals with their glow. The doorways of the kitchen and the top of the stairs started to glow. The walls closed in.

"Now place vines and large flowers over the walls and around anything hard or sharp," Tao said.

Kailen nodded and did as he was told. When he got everything covered and stable, he placed Neo on the floor. And like he had been warned, Neo fluttered her wings and rose into the air again. His heart pounded.

"Calm, Kailen." Tao placed his hand on the young boy's shoulder. "She will be fine. You've padded the house enough. Besides, her wings are still young. She will tire."

"Okay." Kailen nodded. His eyes remained locked on his sister as she flew through the room, bumping into the vines and flowers he had up.

…

"Slow down, honey," Rylan said. He tugged on her hand to get her to slow down but it did no good. Mira just kept pulling him through the neighborhood.

"I can't! I just know something happened with our baby today!" Mira said.

"And you know she's just fine with Kailen," Rylan said.

"Of course I know that!" Mira glared at him from over her shoulder. "If I didn't I would have left the restaurant hours ago!" They turned the corner and their house came into view. "Finally!"

She grabbed the door handle and threw the door open. Her jaw dropped open when she saw the living room walls were covered with vines and several varieties of flowers making the house smell like a perfume shop.

Kailen was lying over the arms of the chair while and Tao was draped over the couch, both looking exhausted. The former had a vine wrapped around his hand. He said, "Oh, Mom, Dad, you're home."

"What in the world is going on?" Rylan asked.

"Neo got her wings." Kailen pointed to the ceiling.

Rylan and Mira looked up. Sure enough their little girl was flying around with small flutters of her wings.

"Rylan! Our baby is flying!" Tears leaked from Mira's eyes. "I knew something happened! I'm so happy!"

"Mama!" Neo turned and flew down to her mother's open arms.

"They're beautiful!" Mira said running her eyes over them.

"They sure are," Rylan said.

"A beautiful pain in the butt," Kailen said.

"I'm going home now." Tao pushed himself up only to fall back down. With another push he managed to get to his feet and stumbled to the door. "I need a nap. A very, very long one."

"What's wrong with him?" Rylan ask as he watched Tao leave without addressing them like he usually did.

"Neo is a flying demon," Kailen said. "She has done nothing but fly with her wings since she got them. And she would land on us, trying to get us to play with her. Actually I think she was trying to get us to fly with her. We ended up running around the living room multiple times. We got a few minutes of rest when her wings got tired but then she was at it again."

"Oh dear." Mira looked down at their baby. Neo was fast asleep in her arms. "Well, it looks like she's sleeping now."

"Of course," Kailen said. "Why couldn't she wore herself out before now?"

"Maybe she just wanted us to see her flying," Mira said.

"He fell asleep," Rylan said kneeling beside the boy. "Should I move him?"

"No, let him sleep," Mira said. "He's apparently had a long day as well."

…Three Years Later…

Neo opened her eyes. Sitting up she looked around her moonlit filled room. It was so large in the darkness. She didn't want to be here anymore. Pushing her blanket off her legs, she rolled onto her stomach and lowered herself to the first step. She then hopped down to the floor and ran over to the doors. Reach up she found the doorknob too high for her short little body. Summoning an earth crystal, she threaded out a vine, wrapped it around the doorknob, and opened the door before scurrying out into the hall. She scampered down the hall to the next door and opened it with her vine. Once inside she banished her crystal and walked over to Kailen's bed. She pushed herself up the two steps and grabbed his blanket. "Kai."

She continued to tug on the blanket until she got his attention. Pushing up on his elbow, he glanced down at the electric blue eyes he came accustom of seeing this late at night in his room.

Tugging again on his blanket, Neo said, "Up, up, Kai. Up."

"You woke up again, huh?" Kailen brushed some sleep out of his eyes.

"Up!" Neo said.

"Okay, okay." Leaning over, Kailen put his arms around his sister and pulled her into his bed. He knew she could fly up easily as she's done it plenty of times before; she was just being her cute little stubborn self. "That better?"

"Better!" Neo sang.

Kailen chuckled. Pulling his blanket up over her, he laid down just before she snuggled into his chest. "Lucky Roo was right. You are a cuddlier."

"We sleep now," Neo said.

"Yes, it's time to sleep," Kailen said. "Our godfather and his crew will be here tomorrow. They'll be excited to see how you have grown."

Kailen watched as Neo almost instantly fell asleep by his side. He watched her sleep for a while, thinking about how often she preferred to sleep while cuddling next to someone. When taking naps, she would curl up next to any one of them. But when it comes to sleeping at night, he often found her in his room some time after she had been put down in her own room. He couldn't figure out if she wanted to be with him or if it was only because his room was closer to hers, in both their house and the castle. Either way, he didn't mind sharing his bed with her when she wanted to cuddle. Lying back down, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Later that morning a firm knock on the door woken the young boy. When he opened his eyes the sight of his sister still sleeping brought a smile to his face. Another knock on his door caused Neo to wake up as well. She yawned then gave him a grin. Smiling back, he said, "Good morning, Neo."

"Mor'ing, Kailen!" Neo chirped.

"Master Kailen," the maid said as she opened the doors and stepped inside. "You should have been up by now." Her orange eyes landed on Neo. "Princess, this is not your room."

"I want sleep with Kai," Neo said.

"It is not proper," the maid said. "You need to stay in your room."

Kailen eyed the fire elemental. The woman was one of the older staff that worked in the castle. Her red hair was peppered with lighter colors of red, making her hair look like it was spotted with pink dots. Her maid outfit, black and white in color, was always perfectly smooth. And she was one of the more vocal about her dislike of letting their princess live like a normal elemental. Maid Mary was her name. And he didn't particularly care for the woman. Personally, he would rather have Topaz. But she was just a newbie at the castle and currently worked mostly in the kitchen and dinning room.

"I have to potty," Neo said.

"Then come, Princess," Maid Mary stepped over to the bed. "Your maids are waiting for you in your room."

"No!" Neo grabbed onto Kailen. "I want Kai!"

"Princess, it's not proper for-"

"It's fine, Maid Mary," Kailen said. His arms wrapped around his sister protectively. "You're dismissed. I can handle her from here."

"Master Kailen," Maid Mary said.

"You go," Neo said, pointing to the door. "You out. Out."

"Yes, Princess." Maid Mary, frowning, curtsied to the princess then left the room, her heels clicking on the floor in annoyance.

With Neo bundled up in his arm, Kailen slipped over to the edge of the bed. Careful to make sure his foot landed firmly on the step to his bed, he lifted her off and headed for the bathroom. He found it hard to believe that it's been three years since they started alternating from their home to the castle. And he still hasn't gotten use to the steps that led to his bed. Most of the time he forgot about them and would stumble down to the floor. He would have insisted on changing rooms, but all the bedrooms were like that.

Stepping into his private and elaborate bathroom, Kailen sat Neo down on her feet. She stepped upon the stool he had brought in for her so she could climb upon the toilet herself. While she took care of her business, he brushed his hair out before she climbed upon the stool next to the sink. "Wash your hands, Neo."

"I will." The handle squeaked when Neo turned it on. Dipping her hands under the warm water she started playing in it instead of washing her hands. Water splashed up on their skin.

"Neo, stop playing in the water," Kailen ordered. "We have to get to breakfast soon."

"Okay." Neo reached for the soap and lathered up her hands.

Kailen smiled. He watched her wash her hands before ordering her out of the bathroom so he could take care of his own business. "Go wait for me in the room."

"Okay." Neo jumped from the stool and ran out.

Chuckling, Kailen finished up his own morning route, dressed inside of the large closet, and then headed out to find Neo waiting patiently by the door. Taking her hand in his, he leaded her back to her own room where he helped her get dressed despite Lyra and Medina's disapproving glances. They were Neo's personal maids and worked under Mary so they all shared the same ideas. Despite that they still obeyed when the royal told them to do something. When he finally had his sister in a simple white dress, he brushed out her soft hair before reclaiming her hand and leading her down the hall.

"Good morning, Princess. Good morning, Master Kailen," several maids and butlers greeted with bows as they walked down the long crystal halls of the castle.

Kailen sighed inwardly. This much attention was something else that he would never get use to. It always felt awkward to him when elementals bowed at them when he was with Neo. And he was with her a lot. The only times that he wasn't really with her was when he had to go to his healer lessons.

"Mor'ing!" Neo gladly greeted them all back. She was such a happy child that seemed to easily made friends, the orphans just loved it when they visit.

But Kailen had to wonder about her _friends_. While the kids, at this point in time, wouldn't just use her because of her royal status, he knew the adults could and would. He had seen some already trying to take advantage of her. Luckily, she was never alone. Despite that people held a lot of respect for Neo. Royals were sacred. No one would ever hurt them intentionally.

Reaching the stairs, Kailen made sure to keep a firm grip on her small hand as they descended down the staircase. The first time he had seen her stumble down the last stair, he thought he was going to die. He had been more upset about it than their parents were. And despite not getting any injuries from the tumble, he still made sure to be beside her, holding her hand, when she went up and down the stairs.

"Good morning," a voice said.

"Tao!" Neo smiled.

Kailen looked up after they stepped off the last step to find Tao standing there with a smile. He had to admit that he started to like this guard some time ago. Tao was one of the best guards the castle had. But the real reason he liked Tao is the young man didn't treat him so formally. While Tao still referred to Neo as Princess, he referred to Kailen by his name. There was no master involved at all.

"Did you two sleep well?" Tao asked.

"We did," Kailen replied.

"That's good to hear." Tao smiled at Neo. "May I assume that the princess slept with you again?"

"Maid Mary, huh?" Kailen lifted an eyebrow.

"She's been ranting again about how improper you and the princess have been," Tao said with a wave of his hand. "Don't pay her any mind."

"I never do," Kailen said.

"Well, you better get to breakfast," Tao said. "Your parents are waiting for you."

"Of course." Kailen nodded. Turning to his left, he once again led Neo down the hall then into the third door on the left. There they found their parents sitting at the table.

Mira and Rylan were sitting on the left side of Neo's royal chair. They looked up and smiled when their kids finally joined them. Mira said, "About time you two got here."

"Sorry," Kailen said. He lifted Neo up and placed her in her booster seat before sitting down on her right where he always sat. Butlers and maids then filtered into the room with their breakfast hidden under crystal domes. The plates were sat down; their covers removed reveal a variety of fresh fruits and freshly baked bread. "We ran into Tao on the way here."

"I see that Neo slept with you again," Rylan said, a maid next to him poured him a cup of coffee. "Thank you."

"Doesn't she always?" Kailen smiled.

"I love Kai!" Neo said. Pinching a piece of apple in her fingers, she brought it up to her lips and started nibbling on it. "When Godfater here?"

"He should be here any time now," Rylan said.

"What he brings me?" Neo asked.

"Neo, you shouldn't expect him and the crew to bring you gifts. They will if they want to," Mira said. "For now, eat your breakfast."

"Yes, Mama," Neo said. Once their breakfast was over, Kailen wiped her face and hands clean with a warm towel a maid had brought. "Read book now?"

"Of course I will," Kailen said. "I don't have any lessons today so I can read as many books as you like."

"Yeah!" Neo threw her arms up into the air.

"Since the pirates are coming we're only spending half the day at the restaurant so we'll be back later," Mira said. "I'd prefer it if you stayed inside today. It's supposed to rain."

"Yes, Mother, we will," Kailen said. Picking Neo up, he carried her out of the dinning hall. Heading to the opposite wing, he entered into the library.

Neo squealed upon seeing the floor to ceiling bookshelves. All ready at the age of three, she had gained their mom's love of reading. She wiggled out of her brother's arms and ran over to the bookshelves. She pulled one off the shelf and took it over to Kailen who was sitting down on the couch. She handed it to him then climbed upon the couch beside him.

"The Little Fairy, again, huh?" Kailen looked at the title. It was one of Neo's growing favorites.

"Read, please," Neo said.

"Here we go." Kailen flipped open the book to the first page. "It appeared just to be another ordinary day for the little fairy. She woke up to the sounds of birds chirping around her small tree house where she lived. Their songs were a lovely wake up call that the new day had started…"

"Pretty," Neo said pointing at the colorful illustrations. "She me."

"She does look like you," Kailen said. "What to help me read?"

"Yes!" Neo nodded.

Kailen lifted his arm so she could scoot closer to him. "And the…what's this word?"

"Feary," Neo said.

"Close," Kailen said. "But it's pronounced fairy."

"Fairy," Neo said. "Fairy likes water."

"That's good," Kailen said before continuing to guide her through the book.

"I have to potty," Neo said an hour later.

"Okay." Kailen put the book down and escorted her over to the library bathroom. When they had come out another maid was standing there. "What's up?"  
"I'm here to announce that the Red Haired Pirates have landed at the docks," she said.

"Godfater here?" Neo asked.

"Yes, Princess." The maid bowed her head.

"Yeah!" Neo cheered and ran for the door.

"Neo, don't run! You'll hurt yourself!" Kailen took after her.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Kailen caught up with her just as Tao scooped her in her arms.

"Godfater here!" Neo said.

"You're so excited to meet someone you've never met before," Tao said tickling her stomach. "Maybe I won't let you go."

Neo giggled and squealed, unable to form a response.

"We've talked a lot about Shanks and the crew," Kailen said. "You know how much Mom and Dad love them."

"Yes," Tao said. "I've heard of how your mother is always trying to cut a piece of Captain Shanks' hair off."

"That's her." Kailen nodded.

"Well, I won't keep you then." Tao handed Neo over to Kailen.

"Meanie!" Neo smiled. "Meanie Tao."

"You can get me back later for that." Tao ruffled her hair.

"We fight," Neo said. She summoned an earth crystal. A small vine came out of it and snapped at Tao.

"Oh, no! Don't hurt me, Princess!" Tao said, faking being scared of her. "You're too strong!"

"Me strong!" Neo said.

"Okay, Neo, let's go. You can play with Tao later. See you later," Kailen said before stepping past Tao. His shoes thumped against the floor as he made his way to the large doors that would lead them outside. Two butlers were walking down the stairs when they got there. The men walked straight for the door and opened it up for them. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, sir," the butlers said before closing the door.

"Fly!" Neo said. "I want fly you!"

"You're not ready yet to fly two people," Kailen said.

"I want to!" Neo pouted.

Kailen sighed. He hated it when she pouted at him. It always, somehow, made him cave. But this time he knew he couldn't do that. She wasn't ready to fly two people yet. She could barely lift herself off the ground as it was. Controlling the wind was a lot harder than using her wings. "Neo, you can't fly right now with me. I promise that you can fly us both later when you get stronger."

"Okay," Neo relented.

"That's a good girl," Kailen said, relieved that she wasn't going to push this. Turning his focus back to their destination, he ran passed several elementals that were also making their way down to the docks. He could easily see the ship from the hill he was running down. Their godfather had finally came back after being gone for over three years. The ship had docked just as he ran out onto the sand. His eyes dropped down to Neo. He was excited this was the first time since Neo had been born that they would see her.

"Godfater," Neo said when the red haired man landed on the beach.

"Neo! Kailen!" Shanks greeted, walking closer to them. "Look at you two! You've grown up a lot! Is this really baby Neo?"

"It is. How have you all been, Shanks?" Kailen nodded.

"We've been doing great," Shanks said.

"That's good," Kailen said. "We've seen your bounties have risen over a total of three hundred thousand."

"Yeah, business has been good," Shanks said.

"Godfater," Neo said. "You godfater."

Shanks placed his hands on her knees and bent closer to her level. "That's right. I'm Shanks, your godfather. It's nice to see you again, Neo."

"Godfater!" Neo wiggled in Kailen's arm until she made her way over to Shanks' arms.

Shanks laughed and gladly took her in his arms. "You are so cute!"

"Well, that was easy," Lucky Roo said.

"Yeah." Yasopp nodded. "I didn't think she'd go to the captain that quick."

"Well, we have been showing your bounty posters a lot," Kailen said. "That's probably why. And she's very social towards others."

"Oh, rats!" Mira said. "I didn't get here quick enough."

"You were going to go after my hair again." Shanks eyed the scissors in the woman's hand.

"Of course I was," Mira said. "But now that you're holding Neo I can't."

"What a relief," Shanks said. "You saved my life, Neo."

Neo tilted her head at him.

"Keep thinking that." Mira spun the scissors on her finger. "You have to sleep some time."

"You should just give her a lock of your hair and be done with it," Rylan said walking down the beach.

"What?! No! There's not fun in getting his hair that way!" Mira protested.

Shanks laughed. "It's good to see you two in such high spirits as always."

"What you bring me?" Neo asked.

"Neo," Mira said with a sigh.

Neo smiled at her.

"Oh, I might have brought you a little something," Shanks said. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out a book and handed it to her.

"A book! Mama! Dada! Godfater got me book!" Neo's eyes shimmered with excitement as she showed the book to her family. She didn't even bother to look at the title.

"That was very nice of him," Rylan said. "Thank your godfather for it."

"Thanks you, Godfater," Neo said.

"You are very welcome," Shanks said.

"You read it?" Neo asked.

"Neo, they just got here," Mira said. "They've had a long journey and need to rest. Shanks can read it to you later. _If_ he wants to."

"Okay." Neo pouted.

"How about I read it to you at bedtime?" Shanks asked.

"Yeah!" Neo nodded.

"She's just so cute," Shanks said bring her up so her cheek rubbed on his.

Neo squealed and wrapped her arms around him, dropping the book in the process. "Uh oh."

"I've got it," Kailen said picking the book up. He brushed off the sand.

"And she already has the captain wrapped around her finger," Benn said.

Neo peaked up over Shanks' shoulder and looked at the rest of the pirates. "Uncle Benn!"

"Uncle?" Benn blink.

"Careful, Benn," Lucky Roo said. "Or you're going to be wrapped around her finger too."

"You all will be," Rylan said. "She's good at that."

The pirates exchanged worried looks.

"So are you staying at home or the castle now?" Shanks asked as they headed up the beach to the castle.

"Right now we're in the castle," Mira said. "I'm sure they're setting up rooms for you all."

"Grandfater sleep with me," Neo said.

"No, Neo," Mira said. "Shanks is going to sleep in his own room. And so are you."

Neo wrinkled her nose.

"Good luck with that." Kailen laughed. "Lucky Roo was right. Neo's a cuddlier. Ever since she stopped sleeping in her crib she's ended up in my bed or our parents bed."

"I fly!" Neo said.

"You flew?" Yasopp asked.

"I have wings!" Neo said. She summoned her wings to show them.

"Those are very pretty," Yasopp said.

Neo flittered her wings and slipped from Shanks grip. "See? I fly!"

"Not to high now, Neo," Mira said her worried eyes locking onto their daughter.

"Relax, dear," Rylan said. "I'm right here. I won't let her get away from us."

"So how's she doing with her wings and crystals?" Yasopp asked.

"She's developing well," Rylan said. "But she doesn't have a whole lot of control over her crystals yet. So we have to watch her closely."

Neo dipped two feet in the air.

Mira gasped and grabbed onto Rylan's arm. "All right, that's enough of that. Bring her back down here. _Now!_ "

"Okay." Rylan summoned a wind crystal. Wrapping a breeze around her small body, he pulled their child back to Mira's arms.

"You naught girl." Mira hugged Neo to her chest. "Don't fly so high."

"Mommy," Neo said. "Sowry."

Mira sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me!" Neo said hugging her mom.

"That says it all!" Shanks laughed.

"How long are you staying this time?" Kailen asked.

"A couple weeks," Shanks said. He tweaked Neo's cheek. "I want to get to know this cutie a bit now since she's talking and walking before we leave. How are your studies going?"

"Good," Kailen said. "That is, when Neo will let me study."

"Maybe we can help with that these next couple of weeks," Lucky Roo said.

"That would be great. I have a huge test on poisons coming up next week," Kailen said. "I really need to get a good grade on it. It's a difficult test."

"Then we'll run interference for you," Shanks said. "If that's all right with your parents."

"You know it's all right," Mira said. "But be warned that a guard or two will be following you around. It's part of our agreement. Since Neo's flying more most likely at least one will be a wind elemental."

"That'll be fine," Shanks said. "We're not going to get into trouble at all. Right, Neo?"

"Right!" Neo nodded.

"Anyone who believes that stand on your head," Benn said causing everyone to laugh.

…

 **Author's Notes: There's so much to put in here. Since it's impossible to get it all I'm trying to hit the highlights. I plan on adding more as flashbacks later on. And I would have put more of Shanks in this one but I don't have anything for that yet. So more bonding with him and Neo in the next chapter.**


	4. Growing Up Royal P3

Growing Up Royal

Part Three

"Careful now, Neo," Rylan said. "Make sure the batter has been cooked and the edges are golden brown."

"I know, Daddy," Neo said. Shaking the pan, she watched the pancake slide over the surface before she flicked it. The pancake flipped up into the air and landed back in the pan. "Yes! Another successful flip!"

"You're becoming quite the cook," Rylan said.

"I have a good teacher," Neo said. She flipped the pancake again and it landed perfectly on one of the five stacks they already had sitting on the counter.

Rylan reached for the spatula and rotated the sausage causing them to sizzle from the uncooked side touching the hot liquid.

Neo looked at the frying links. The grease was bubbling up around them. Sausage wasn't a normal food on Luminous. The pirates had brought it, along with bacon, to them this time and asked to cook it. She was more than glad to. She couldn't get enough of cooking for her family despite her young age. It was something she never got to do while living in the castle. If she got the opportunity to cook something new she took it. Usually it was just her and her dad in the kitchen but today they had a special guest. The cook of the Red Hair Pirates was with them. But he was sitting off to the side watching them instead of actually helping. It was his choice to only offer advice on how to cook anything new they brought.

"So how's it going in here?" Shanks asked as he walked into the room.

"It's almost ready," Neo said.

"Smells good." Shanks reached for a piece of bacon.

"Hey!" Neo said. "Not yet!"  
"A little snack never hurts." Shanks winked at her before biting into the bacon.

"Oh!" Neo crossed her arms over her chest. "Pirates are sometimes too free."

"You know you love us," Shanks said ruffling her bangs.

"I do. So take me with you this time," Neo said. "I want to be a pirate now."

"I'm sorry, kiddo," Shanks said. "You're still too young."

"But I'm eight!" Neo said. "I am old enough! And I've gotten a lot better with my crystals!"

"I know you have," Shanks said. "But you know your mom and dad won't let you go. Maybe when you're older."

"Not fair." Neo pouted. "You always say that."

"Pouting won't get you what you want," Rylan said.

"It will with the elementals," Neo said.

Shanks and his cook laughed.

Rylan sighed. "All too true. But it's not going to work on us. Now let's get breakfast on the table."

"Okay." Neo summoned a wind crystal. Lifting the plates of food off the counter, she jumped off her stool- her medallion bounced against her stomach -and walked them over to the table. The table was longer than usual. So was the house. They had to extend it to fit all the pirates. She didn't like it when they slept far away from her when they were here.

"So what are you planning on doing today after your lessons, Neo?" Mira asked once everyone was sitting at the table.

"Going to play with Godfather and everyone since Kai has to go to his lessons," Neo said. She looked at her brother. "Unless you'll skip them and play with me."

"Sorry, little sister," Kailen said. "I have to go to them. And you're going to be busy with your own for a while."

"Fine," Neo said. She tucked her feet under her legs and shoved a bite of sausage in her mouth. It has a salty and grainy taste. Her nose wrinkled. "People actual eat this stuff?"  
"It's tasty if you're use to it," Yasopp said popping one in his mouth.

"Or you all have killed your taste buds on all that sake that you drink," Neo said. "And cigarettes for Uncle Benn."

Benn smirked at her. "My taste is just fine."

"All right, Neo," Mira said. "Finish your breakfast. Your tutor will be here soon."

"Okay." Neo focused back on her meal. She could talk to the pirates later. As she was downing the last of her orange juice a knock came on the door.

Mira stood up to answer it. "Neo, Lana's here."

"Coming," Neo said. Turning in her chair she slid to the floor and walked into the living room.

"Tarty again, Princess," Lana said. "You're going to have to get better with your timing."

"Why?" Neo sat down at her crystal desk that Lana always formed when she came over. "I'm the princess. People should wait on me."

Lana's cheeks flushed. "I-I'm s-sorry, Princess." She bowed. "As always, you are correct."

"Relax, Lana," Neo said. "I was only teasing."

"I'm going to blame Shanks for her deviousness." Mira sighed and went back into the kitchen to help clean up.

Neo smiled. She liked the idea of obtaining something from her godfather.

"Let's get started." Lana reached into her bag and pulled out several worksheets. She placed one down in front of Neo along with a pencil. "We'll start with math."

Neo picked up the pencil and started on the worksheet. "Eleven times seven is seventy seven."

"See you later, Neo." Kailen kissed her head before heading for the door.

"Study hard, Kai!" Neo said.

"You too!" Kailen disappeared out the door with his bag over his shoulder.

The hours passed. The pirates came and went while her parents went off to work as Neo continued to work through the worksheets her tutor had brought her. Finally, lunchtime had come and her lessons were over.

"Thank you, Princess." Lana picked the papers up, put them in her bag, and headed for the door. "I'll review these later."

"Fine." Neo turned to find Shanks sitting on the couch. He had his eyes closed but opened them when she looked at him. So she had no idea if he was asleep or not. "Can we play now?"  
"How about lunch first?" Shanks stood up. "You're probably hungry."

"I am." Neo headed for the kitchen. "What should we have?"

"How about some special foods that I brought with me?" Shanks walked over to the cabinets and open one up. He pushed some pans out of the way until he found what he was looking for.

"You brought other stuff?" Neo asked.

"A few things that your mother wouldn't approve of," Shanks said. He pulled out to reveal a bag in his hand. He carried it over to the table and poured the contents onto the table.

Neo's eyes lit up. He had brought her several types of chips and sweets that weren't made on Luminous. Summoning a wind crystal, she flew up to him and hugged him. "Godfather! You're the best!"

Shanks chuckled and wrapped his arms around her body. Sitting down with her in his lap, the two shared the junk food.

Neo picked up a sugary-coated bun and bit into it. The cream filling and chocolate cake poured onto her tongue. She hummed in delight at the unexpected treat. After eating a little under half of the bun, she moved on to the other sweets, breaking off small pieces to taste them until she couldn't stand any more sugar. She then summoned some fruits and vegetables to balance it out before gathering a few of the sweets for her friends and finally leaving the house.

"Let's fly!" Neo summoned a couple wind crystals. She lifted herself and Shanks into the air.

"Not too high now," Shanks said. "Your mother would skin me alive."

"I know," Neo said. "Can we go to the park?"  
"If that's what you want," Shanks said.

"Some friends of mine should be there," Neo said.

"Then let's go," Shanks said.

Neo angled them to the right. They passed over the neighborhood until they reached the closest park. She lowered them down. Instantly the elementals noticed her. They started whispering to each other and bowing. "Please don't bow. We came here to play."

"This is so exciting."

"The princess came to play."

"Honey, be sure to be really nice to the princess. She could be your friend."

Neo ignored them. They always said things like that. Instead, she looked up at Shanks. "Will the other's come?"  
"I'm sure they will," Shanks said. "They can never resist playing with you."

"Yeah!" Neo nodded. Lifting them back in the air, she sat them down on the slide. She screamed in joy as they slid down.

"Neo!"

Neo looked up when her name was called. A smile spread across her lips when she saw Poppy, Violet, and Lily running over to them. "You're here! You finally made it!"

"It's Lily's fault," Poppy said. "She refuses to keep her room clean. Ortiz wouldn't let her leave until she cleaned it up. And of course she made us wait for her."

"I…I didn't make you wait," Lily said twiddling her fingers.

"No, you just cried until we gave in to you," Poppy said, running her hand through her messy red hair. "You're such a crybaby. You didn't need us to walk with you to the park."

"I'm sorry." Lily hung her head.

"It's okay. You're here now," Neo said. She took the shy girl's hand. "Godfather brought some treats. I brought a few to share with you all. After that we can build a sandcastle."

"All right! Human junk food!" Poppy cheered.

"O-okay." Lily nodded and let Neo lead her over to the sandbox. She tucked her silvery blue hair behind her ear and sat down beside Neo.

"Here." Neo opened the bag with the snacks. "These are really good."

Lily reached in for a cookie and nibbled on it. "Thank you."

"I will never understand why sand was moved here." Poppy kicked off her shoes and sat down on the edge of the sandbox. "We are surrounding with beaches. Oh, and Lily, don't blow the sand around with your winds this time." She grabbed a cream puff and took a big bite. The cake pieces and a little cream spread over her face, making it look like she had more colorful freckles. "I don't want to eat sand."

"I…I won't," Lily said.

"Not everyone can go to the beach, Poppy," Violet said. Tucking her dress under her legs, she sat down with her fire friend and placed her purse in her lap before grabbing a piece of chocolate from the pile. "This is a good contained area for kids."

"We're not kids," Poppy said. "We should be able to go to the beach if we want."

"You know we can't go there without an older kid or an adult with us," Violet said.

"You're such a goodie goodie," Poppy said. "You should be more adventurous. Right, Shanks?"

"Well, for pirates adventurous is natural," Shanks said. "But kids need boundaries."

"Then lets be pirates and go to the beach," Poppy said.

"Maybe tomorrow," Shanks said. "I don't want Ortiz thinking something happened to you if he comes to find you and you're not here where you're suppose to be."

"You are being such a hypocrite," Poppy said.

"I'm being realistic," Shanks said. "And you would be to if you had to face Mira's wrath from doing something she would disapprove of. I'm already pushing it by allowing Neo to eat so much junk."

"Then you're a coward," Poppy said.

"Stop it! Godfather is not a coward!" Neo said. She jumped up and spread her arms out wide. "He's brave! He's the strongest pirate in the world!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Shanks said.

"But you are!" Neo turned to him.

"Okay, okay. I'm glad to have your support," Shanks said. "We came here to play not to argue."

The girls then settled down and started playing in the sand after eating the rest of the junk food. Neo used her water crystals when they needed more water to mold their sand. Violet used her earth crystals to shape the sand since she didn't want to get dirty while the rest of the girls and Shanks used their hands. Suddenly, someone grabbed Neo's pigtail and jerked her backward. "Hey! That hurt!"

"Good! You're such a baby!"

Neo turned to fine a boy they often ran into when at the park. "Brazen, you're mean."

"And you're a spoiled brat, _Princess_ ," Brazen said.

"Get lost, bubble butt!" Poppy snapped. "Or else!"

"Or what?" Brazen shot back. He summoned his fire crystals and lit them with a small flame. "I'm stronger than you!"

"You are not! And I'll toast you to prove it!" Poppy summoned her own fire crystals.

"Yes, because violence is the solution to this problem," Violet said.

"He started it," Poppy said.

"Did not!" Brazen said.

"Did too!" Poppy said.

"Did not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

Lily squeaked from the fighting and ran behind Shanks. "Make it stop."

"Neo, snap a vine at his leg then quickly banish your crystal," Shanks whispered.

Neo did as she was told. She snapped out the vine, turning the Brazen's skin red.

The boy wailed out. "She hit me! She hit me! The _princess_ hit me!"

"And you called Neo a baby." Poppy smirked.

"The _princess_ hit me with a vine!" Brazen said. "I'm going to tell!"

"Just shut up!" Poppy said. "You brought it on yourself!"

"She's mean! And I'm going to tell!" The boy ran off.

Shanks snickered. "That's my girl."

Neo smiled.

"That was very inappropriate."

Neo and Shanks jumped when Atlas spoke. They turned to the man, finding his son was with him. Though the younger man was clearly amused at the situation while the older man's eyes were glaring at the pirate. His grip on his staff was turning his knuckles white.

"There's nothing wrong with her sticking up for herself," Shanks said. "Besides, he shouldn't have pulled her hair."

"And you shouldn't teach _our_ princess to seek revenge," Atlas. "Princess, return to the castle at once."

"No," Neo said. She grabbed onto Shanks' arm. "I'm staying with Godfather."

Atlas frowned. "Then you leave me no choice. I will be informing your parents about this."

"Go ahead," Neo said. "They won't mind."

"Fine." Atlas spun around, his robe twirling at his feet, and walked away.

"Sorry," Tao said. "You know how he can be."

"The old fart needs to retire," Shanks said. "That boy's lucky all he got was a vine on the leg."

"I agree. But try and behave from this point on," Tao said. He bent down and placed his hand on Neo's head. "Please don't snap anyone anymore with your vines."

"Okay. I'll try," Neo said.

"That's a good girl." Tao ruffled her bangs and took off after his dad.

"Atlas is so boring," Poppy said.

"And his son is so cute!" Violet squealed.

"I swear you get more and more boy crazy everyday," Poppy said.

"I can't help it," Violet said with a dreamy smile.

"Feeling better, Lily?" Neo held out her hand to her friend.

Wiping her tears away, Lily took her hand and stepped out from behind Shanks.

"So this is where you two went," Benn said walking over to them. "And getting into trouble I see. You're a bad influence on her, Captain."

Shanks smirked. "I have to teach my goddaughter to handle herself."

"Lousy excuse," Benn said.

"Uncle Benn!" Neo cheered. She ran over to his open arms. She squealed happily as he flew her around in the air. "Yeah!"

"I'll never understand why she likes that so much when she has her wind crystals and her wings," Poppy said.

"It's the bonding between her and her uncle," Violet said.

"I think it's sweet," Lily said.

A week later, the pirates, Neo, and her family were all gathered at the docks to say their goodbyes once more, as it was time for the pirates to go.

"But I don't want you to go!" Neo clung to Shanks' leg. Warm tears streamed down her cheeks. "You stay away far too long! Please stay!"

"I'm sorry, Neo." Shanks placed his hand on her head. "We have to go now. The sea is calling for us. And we did stay a week longer than we planned."

"I know." Neo sniffled. "But it's never long enough."

"Maybe one day we can spend a lot longer time here with you," Shanks said.

"Really?" Neo lifted her eyes to him.

Shanks knelt down to her height. "Neo, we won't be sailing the sea for eternity. The human body grows old after a while. Maybe, when that time comes, we can retire here. Then we can spend the rest of our days with you."

"You would do that?" Neo asked.

"Of course we will," Shanks said and his crew nodded.

"But you will come back before then, right?" Neo asked.

"You know we will," Shanks said. "We'll come back as often as we can. And we'll definitely be back for your coronation. Love you as big as the sea."

"Love you as big as the sea and sky," Neo replied.

"That's my girl." Shanks wrapped his arms around her.

More tears came to her eyes. Saying goodbye to the crew was always hard. Reluctantly, she had to release him. She took her mom and dad's hands when they stepped up beside her. They watched the ship sail out of sight.

Rylan then picked her up.

Neo's eyes remained out at the sea as her dad carried her home.

…

Neo rocked back on her heels. Boredom plagued her as she listened to Atlas give a speech on the dedication of the new park. One of the elemental elite had passed away last week. It was apparently his dream to donate new parks for to the orphanages. Like they didn't have enough parks as it was. But these parks were different. The man had made some drawings of design the park equipment to be in the shape of animals. The parks had recently been completed so they were going through the ceremonies and dedication of them. All day she had been pulled around the island for these dedications. This was the last one. It couldn't end fast enough. She figured the day would end before the ceremonies did. The sun was already below the trees.

Her mind was on the sleepover she was having with her friends at the castle. They were all ready for it and none more so than she was. Her feet and legs were starting to ache from all the standing. She wanted to kick her shoes off and run barefooted for a while. But it wasn't proper for her to do that at these ceremonies. Still she was on the verge of doing it anyway. If it weren't for Atlas finally reaching the end of his boring speech she would have done just that.

"And now the princess will cut the ribbon," Atlas said.

Neo stepped up to the ribbon. It took everything she had to not rip the ribbon in half with her hands. Instead she plucked the scissors from the purple pillow a young boy was holding and cut the ribbon, everyone cheered. The placed the scissors back down and took off into the air with her wings.

"Princess Neo!" Atlas called to her. "Come back here! We're not done!"

"Yes, we are," Neo replied. "All that's left is people looking at the park. And I've seen them ten times already!"

Atlas said more but she didn't stick around to hear what he said. She flew straight for the castle. The guards opened the doors for her. She flew it and right to her room where her friends were waiting for her. All three were sitting on her bed with games, magazines and a few books scattered around them.

"Finally!" Poppy said. "You're here!"

"Sorry," Neo said. "Those ceremonies seem to get longer and longer."

"It's all right," Violet said flipping through a magazine.

Neo went into her bathroom to change into her pajamas.

"We know you have to go to them," Violet continued.

"I don't see why you had to go to all of them," Poppy said. "You must have been extremely bored."

"I was." Neo stepped out of the bathroom, pulling her hair out of her shirt. "It was all the exact same from park to park. I did skip out a bit earlier on this last one."

"I'm sure Atlas loved that," Poppy said.

"You…you're not going to get into trouble are you?" Lily asked.

"Of course not," Neo said. "Now let's have some fun."

…

"We should totally have more sleepovers here!" Poppy said running down the long hall with the other three girls following. "Or you should throw more parties!"

"Slow down, Poppy," Lily said.

Neo slowed down. She waited for the slower Lily to catch up with them.

"Neo, if you keep babying her like that she's never going to grow up," Poppy said.

"I'm not babying her," Neo said. "She's just not as fast as we are. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Lay off, Pop," Violet said. "You know Lily's sensitive."

"Yeah. I know, I know," Poppy said. "Let's get something to eat. Do we have any junk food?"

"In the castle? Have you lost it?" Violet asked. "You know junk food isn't allowed here."

"You never know," Poppy said.

"Well, Shanks did send some stuff for me," Neo said. Summoning a wind crystal, she lifted them all into the air. Lily squeaked and held tight onto Neo's arm. "Topaz has been hiding it for me. Let's go see if she's still here."

Neo flew them down the stairs, startling some maids, before entering into the dinning room and then the kitchen.

"She's here! Topaz!" Poppy called out when they spotted their friend drying dishes.

"Good evening, girls," Topaz said turning to them. "What can I do for you?"

"We want junk food!" Poppy said.

"What she means is, do you still have the stuff that Godfather sent me?" Neo asked.

"Indeed I do." Topaz placed the plate down and walked over to one of the pantries. The girls followed her into it. She pushed back a panel, revealing a secret compartment, and pulled out an armful of snacks.

"Yes!" Poppy grabbed some of the snacks from her. "This is great! Chocolate crunchies!"

"Is…is there some sodas?" Lily asked.

"There sure are," Topaz said. "Shall I carry them to your room, Princess?"

"That's not necessary." Neo gathered the items in her winds. "Hey! Topaz! Come join us!"

"Sorry, Princess, I have my duties to preform," Topaz said.

"Oh, come on," Neo said. "No one will care. I want you to join us." She looked back to the kitchen. "You were only doing dishes right?"

"That I am." Topaz nodded.

Neo stepped out into the kitchen. Using her crystals she finished the dishes for Topaz and put them up. "Now you can come. Right?" She pouched out her lips. "Please?!"

"Oh, how could I possible say no to a face like that?" Topaz said. "All right. I'll come spend time with you." The girls left the kitchen by Neo's winds. "Have you asked Medina and Lyra?"

"No," Neo said.

"They're boring sticks in the mud," Poppy said.

"You don't have to be so rude," Violet said.

"It's the truth," Poppy said tossing a chocolate crunchy in her mouth.

"They're too strict," Neo said. "You're more easy going even though you still call me princess."

"I see," Topaz said.

Neo placed them all down on her large rounded bed.

Topaz pulled off her shoes and placed them down on the first step. The girls then indulged in eat junk food and talking about anything and everything that popped into their heads. Topaz spent a lot of time putting braids in the girls' hair, but for Poppy's since it was too short, while they tried to pull castle gossip from her.

"So have you ever kissed a boy, Topaz?" Poppy asked. "There have been plenty of guys who've noticed you."

"No, I have not," Topaz said.

"What?! But you're so old!" Poppy said.

"Poppy!" Violet elbowed her.

"It's all right, Violet," Topaz said. "Sometimes it can be years before a girl gets her first kiss from a boy."

"Not me," Poppy said. "I'm never going to let a boy kiss me. They're gross. And they smell."

"I'm going to get my kiss when I turn thirteen," Violet said. "Then I will get married at eighteen. And have my first child at twenty one."

"Ugh. Why are you planning all that out? We're only eleven years old," Poppy said.

"I like planning," Violet said.

"Fine. What about you, Lily? When do you want your first kiss?" Poppy asked.

"I…I don't know," Lily said. "Not for a while yet."

"Just don't push the kissing. It will come when it's time," Topaz said. "And never let a boy pressure you into doing something you're not comfortable with."

"Right," the girls said.

"What about you, Neo?" Poppy asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Neo said. "I'm not sure I'll ever be kissed."

"Why would you think that?" Topaz asked.

"Because I'm a royal," Neo said. "Everyone is always treating me like a royal."

"Well, you are one," Violet said.

"I know. But I can't really get to know anyone if they don't treat me like a normal elemental," Neo said.

"Must be so hard on you," Violet said.

"Maybe." Neo smiled. "But I do have you all."

"Of course you do!" Violet threw her arms around Neo.

"Yeah!" Poppy joined.

Lily then joined in the hug. "And you'll always have us."

"Same with me," Topaz said.

The girls stayed up for a few more hours chatting and playing games before they crashed from all the sugar they ate. Topaz stepped into Neo's bathroom and gathered up some blankets for them. She then placed them over the sleeping girls and left the room.

Neo shifted closer to Lily. The two girls cuddled up next to each other and slept peacefully in each other's warmth.

…

Neo stood quietly waiting for the owner of the new ward to finish talking about how this place was going to help the growing population of elementals. It had been almost an hour since this ceremony started. And she was growing rather bored and tired of standing around like she always did. She found these ceremonies overly ridiculous the more she had to do them. There was no point in her actually being here. A ribbon didn't have to be cut for a building opening. Yet here she was. Standing like the pretty little royal she was born to be. She ran her eyes over the ground. Just about everyone was there. But they came for her not the new building.

And down in the front was here friends and brother. Poppy was making fun of the man speaking by blabbing her lips and moving her fingers in an imitation of a mouth. She had to bite back her giggle. Poppy was one girl who could easily relate to her boredom with these events. Her eyes roamed to Violet. The young girl was blossoming into a beautiful young woman with plenty of curves to spare. And she always had a boyfriend these days. Her newest one had his arm around her shoulders. He was whispering something in her ear that made her giggle. Neo envied her. She wanted to be down there with her friends instead of up here.

"Focus, Princess," Atlas said. "You're here to do a job. Not watch the crowd."

"I know," Neo said. Atlas was always with her for these events yet never seemed to be around much any other time. Though she wasn't exactly sure why he was here. He did nothing but stand there. He never even said a word at these ceremonies like this one. Shift on her feet, she sighed and smooth down her white dress out of boredom. A couple birds landed on her shoulders. But before she could enjoy their company, Atlas shooed them away. Finally, the man was winding down his speech.

"And now, Princess Neo," he said. "If you would do the honors of cutting the ribbon."

"It would be my pleasure." Neo stepped up to the red ribbon. A young boy carrying a purple pillow stepped up to her. She took the scissors from the pillow and cut the ribbon. The crowd cheered. She placed the scissors back on the pillow and faced the ground. More cheering happened and she shared a few words with the speaker before she was finally able to slip away from the area. Lifting her friends and brother in the air with her wind crystal, she flew them towards the castle.

"Well, that was fun," Poppy said with a roll of her eyes. "I'll never get that hour back."

"They why do you even go to these things?" Violet asked.

"To support Neo," Poppy said. "Duh! Someone's got to keep her from dying of boredom while she stands up there like a statue."

Neo giggled, her bells ran out in the air. "And I'm very glad for that. You make those boring ceremonies a bit exciting."

"Next time I'll save you completely by starting a fire," Poppy said as they landed.

"Don't you dare!" Violet said.

"Just go off with your boyfriend and suck face," Poppy said.

"Sounds good to me." Violet smiled at her boyfriend. He smiled back and they took off for the forest.

"How much you want to be they're having sex?" Poppy asked.

"P-Poppy! It's not our place to make assumptions," Lily said her cheeks flushing red.

"I don't think Violet's the type," Kailen said.

"Then you'd be wrong," Poppy said as they entered into the castle and headed to Neo's room. "You should hear the way she talks about boys and their bodes. She knows things a fifteen year old shouldn't. She's not even studying to be a healer."

"I think we've talked about her enough," Kailen said.

Neo stepped into her bathroom where her two maids, Lyra and Medina, were waiting. She held out her arms so they could undo her dress. Stepping out of the white fabric, she took her shorts and shirt from Medina and pulled them on. Sitting down at the vanity she waited as Lyra pulled the pins out of her hair, allowing her curls fall down around her shoulders. Her hair was curlier thanks to the curls they had put in for the ceremony. She would have to wash them out later. Now she just wanted to spent time with her friends. So she ran out of the bathroom before her maids could do anything else to her. They protested with heavy sighs. She smiled. They were finally learning if she didn't want to do something she wasn't going to do it. "I'm ready!"

"Let's go then," Poppy said.

"What are we going to do?" Lily asked as they left the room.

"Go home," Neo said. "Daddy's going to be bring some sweet rolls home tonight for us."

"I love his sweet rolls," Kailen said.

"We all do." Neo linked her arm with his. Stepping outside they noticed a wind elemental boy appeared to be waiting on them. She took a closer look and noticed she had seen him several times before. "Isn't that Lane?"

"Lane? The guy whose mom's a fashion designer?" Poppy asked. "Why would he be here?"

Lane pushed off the railing and walked over to them. He smiled.

Neo couldn't help but notice his smile was perfect. "Hello."

"Uh, hi. I, um, I mean, hello, Princess." Lane bowed.

"It's okay. You don't have to bow," Neo said. "Did you need something?"  
"No. Yes. Sort of," Lane said standing up.

"Either you do or you don't," Poppy said. "Spit it out."

"Princess Neo, would you do me the honor of going on a date with me?!" Lane said as if Poppy's words really made him do it.

"You want to go on a date?" Neo asked feeling Kailen tensing up beside her.

"I do." Lane nodded. "That is if you want to."

"Uh, well…" Neo didn't know what to say. This was the first time a boy had asked her such a question. Before now all they would do is stand off to the side and watch her. Sometimes she would hear them whisper about how cute they thought she was but they never came closer. She glanced up when she heard Kailen growled. Or maybe it wasn't her royal status. Maybe her brother was intimidating them. They were together a lot. And it wasn't a secret of how protective he was of her.

"And what makes you think you're worthy of dating her?" Kailen asked.

"Uh." Lane's face turned pale.

"Relax, Lane," Neo said. "He's only messing with you."

"You don't have to answer right now, Princess," Lane said. "I'm sorry for even asking. You're probably busy. I'll just go."

"Wait," Neo said before he could leave. "Give me time to think about it. I'll send you a message when I've decided."

Lane smiled and nodded before running off.

"You're not seriously thinking of going out with him are you?" Kailen asked.

"I don't know." Neo lifted them into the air. She pondered both questions while heading home. Entering the house she sat down on the couch.

"He is cute," Lily said sitting down beside.

"Oh yeah," Poppy said sitting down on the chair across from them. "That's good reason to go out with someone."

"What do you want to do, Neo?" Kailen asked sitting on Neo's free side.

"I don't know," Neo said. "Maybe? I mean I'm fifteen now. But this is the first time a guy has actually asked me."

"They're just scared of you," Poppy said. "Or maybe they're more scare of showing how lame they are while being around you."

"Guys are just shy when it comes to girls they like," Kailen said. "Most will act the idiot to try and impress a girl. If you don't feel like going out with him then don't."

"I guess I'll have to think about it more," Neo said. "It might be nice to go out on a date."

"You could always double with someone," Lily said. "That way you won't be alone."

"Well, I won't be alone anyway," Neo said. "All of the elementals will be watching. And you know a guard or two will be following me."

"I say you don't go," Kailen grumbled.

"Of course you do." Neo pushed off her shoes and snuggled into his side.

…

Neo stared at herself. She had actually decided to go on a date with Lane. And like she knew, everyone knew about it. She had no idea who told. It could have been Lane or his family. She didn't know much about him until Atlas insisted she be informed of his family. Now she knew more than she thought she should. Lane's mom was indeed a fashion designer; she was responsible for the majority of the clothes on the island. His dad chose to stay home with the kids and do wood carvings. Lane was the third child of an older brother and an older sister, he loves green vegetables and dislikes orange ones, his favorite animal are birds, his favorite color is green, he's an A student, and wants to be a fashion designer like his mom. With all that information she had no idea what they were going to talk about on their date. Everyone on the island already knew everything she liked and disliked. Perhaps she shouldn't have agreed to this. At the very least she knew next time to cut Atlas off before he informed her of every little detail.

"Neo?" Mira said while knocking on the door. "You ready? Lane's here."

"I guess so." Neo smoothed out her dark blue dress knowing if she was at the castle they would have her wearing white. She was growing so sick of white. She opened the door and stepped out.

"Oh, you look so beautiful," Mira said, a tear in her eye. "I can't believe how much you've grown."

"Thanks, Mom," Neo said. "So has Dad and Kai grilled him to death yet?"

"No, but you should get down there. I'm sure he's very uncomfortable," Mira said.

Neo nodded. She headed for the stairs with her mom close behind. Reaching them she found Lane sitting stiffly in a chair while her dad and brother sat on the couch with their eyes locked onto them like he was their prey, which he was. Tao, who was standing near the door and her guard for the night, was also giving Lane a harsh look. "Sorry for taking so long."

"It's okay." Lane stood up. "You look very nice."

"Thank you. So do you." Neo eyed his white shirt and pants. She was glad it wasn't going to be a strictly formal date. She was tired of strict formal.

"Sh-shall we go." Lane gestured to the door with a shaky hand.

Neo nodded. She wrinkled her nose at her dad and brother for their glares before following Lane out the door. Tao followed them in silence, keeping a respectable distance as he informed her earlier that day that he would. They walked along the neighborhood in silence. She could feel Lane's element quivering nervously while the neighbors peaked out their windows or stepped outside. Most were cooing their excitement. Their expressions said it all. She didn't even have to hear their words. She knew if they could they would take pictures of this. Luckily there weren't any transponder snails fitting for the job on their island.

After several long and silent minutes of walking, Lane opened the door to the restaurant they were going to be eating at. Stepping inside Neo could instantly see this was where the higher classes of the elementals ate. The spices in the room smelled great. Her stomach rumbled. Everyone paused to look as them as a waiter escorted them to their table. Which she couldn't help but noticed was in the center of the room where everyone could see her. She sat down; the white tablecloth brushed her knees. Her eyes went to the flowers in the middle of the table. They were cut short enough so she could see Lane easily. But she also noticed their table was the only one with flowers.

"Order whatever you want, Princess," Lane said picking up his menu. "My uncle owns this place. So we can get whatever."

"That's nice of him," Neo said.

"He wanted to do this for our royal," Lane said.

Neo nodded. A minor touch of disappointment settled into her stomach. She tried not to let it get to her. She knew it would happen. Elementals were always giving her free stuff even when she asked them not to.

"What would the princess and her date like to drink?" the waiter asked.

"Sweet tea," Neo said looking at her menu.

"Same," Lane said.

"Very well. I will get that right to you." The waiter walked off. And like he said he was back within a minute. He placed their drinks on the table. "Would you like a few more minutes to decide what you would like to eat?"

"I'm ready," Neo said.

"Very well." The waiter lifted his pencil.

"I'll have the fruit salad," Neo said.

"Same," Lane said.

Neo looked at him, wondering if it was just a coincident he ordered both the same drink and meal.

"It will be only a moment, Princess," the waiter said. He picked up their menus and walked off.

Neo waited for Lane to say something. When he didn't she asked, "So what are your siblings like?"

"Like any other, Princess." Lane shrugged, his eyes locked onto the table.

"Oh," Neo said. "Do you get along with them well?"  
"I dunno, Princess." Lane shrugged again.

Neo mentally sighed. Clearly he wasn't one for conversation. She turned her eyes to the restaurant. Chandeliers were hanging all over the room. Several landscapes painting were hanging on the walls. It was boring. Her eye caught movement in the corner of the room. Despite the number of elementals in the room she could easily guess who was hiding in the darkness of the corner.

"Here you go. Sorry for the wait," the waiter said placing their plates down on the table.

"Thank you," Neo said. She picked up her fork and started eating. Part of her wished Lane would say something but the other part of her was fine that he didn't.

"Let's go for a walk, Princess." Lane said after they had finished eating.

"Sure," Neo said. She stood up and followed him towards the door. "Where would you like to go?"  
"I don't know, Princess," Lane said as they exited the building.

"You don't have to call me princess all the time. You can call me by my name," Neo said.

"I can't do that, Princess," Lane said. "My mom would skin me alive."

"How about we go through the forest and down to the beach?" Neo suggested while forcing back a sigh. "We could be alone there." A smile threatened to take over her lips when the bushes rustled angrily behind them. She forced herself not to look back. She would alert them if she did. And that would ruin the fun, the only fun she was having on this date. "No one should be there."

"If that's what you want," Lane said. "You're the princess."

Neo frowned. She marched towards the woods. Her temple twitched in frustration on how he wasn't even trying to get to know her or trying to make a decision. She might be the princess but that didn't mean she had to always make the decisions.

The lingering spices of the restaurant faded away to the smells of the forest upon stepping into it. She summoned a couple fire crystals to give them light through the darkness. A couple animals scurried out to greet them at that point. A bird landed on her right shoulder while a squirrel scampered to her left shoulder. Two bunnies and a fox walked along side her feet. No one said a word as they broke through the forest and walked out onto the sand. She banished her fire crystals, letting the moonlight fall down on them. The animals scurried off to their homes.

Neo breathed in the salty air, her mind jumping to her godfather's ship. She wondered where they were at the moment. An ache appeared in her chest. It had been three years since she's seen them. She hoped they would come for a visit soon.

Lane bent down. Picking up a rock some kids probably piled up and left behind; he threw it out into the water. "Sorry I'm not that much fun, Princess. I don't really care for people watching me all of the time."

"I don't care much for it either," Neo said.

Lane laughed. "I couldn't tell. You seem so relaxed in front of everyone."

"I might have gotten use to it, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it," Neo said offended. She drew in a deep breath. There was no point in feeling offended by his comment.

"The date was really my mom's idea," Lane said. "I actually like someone else. But my mom doesn't approve of her."

Okay, Neo thought. It was perfectly okay to be offended. "Well, if you didn't want to go out with me then you shouldn't have asked."

"As I said, it was my mom's idea," Lane said tossing another rock into the sea.

Tears pricked Neo's eyes. Her hands curled into fists. This guy didn't even have the decency to keep that fact to himself. The wind picked up on her fury and blew her hair over her shoulders. Summoning a water crystal, she pulled a wave onto the beach.

"Princess, don't!" Tao shouted out. But it was too late. The wave landed on Lane, pulling him out into the water.

Neo spun on her heels as Lane broke the surface couching and spitting out water. She stomped towards the forest.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Lane demanded.

Neo spun around and glared at him through the moonlight. "Grow a back bone, you coward! Don't let _mommy_ make your decisions for you!" She turned back around in time to see her dad and Kailen running towards her, both obviously angry with Lane despite not knowing why she threw him into the sea. Before they could say a single word, she took off into the air, heading for home.

"Neo, wait!" Kailen called.

But she didn't. She flew straight home, refusing to let her tears fall. Slamming the door behind her, she marched up the stairs, unaware of having startling her mom who was reading on the couch.

"Neo?" Mira called.

Neo didn't stop. She rushed to her room, ripped off her dress, kicked off her shoes, put on her favorite pair of pajamas, and curled up on the bay window seat.

"Want to talk about it?" Mira asked from the door.

"It doesn't matter. I knew it wouldn't work out," Neo said.

"It could have," Mira said.

Neo turned to her mom. "He only asked me out because his mom wanted him to."

"I'm sorry." Mira walked over and sat down across from her. "Some people are just like that. I'm sure a guy will ask you out one day because he likes you."

"Poppy's right. They're all cowards," Neo said. "Not a single boy here has the decency to call me by my name."

"One will someday," Mira said.

"Why are guys such idiots?" Neo asked. More tears gathered in her eyes. Her heart throbbed in an unfamiliar pain. Realization crept upon her brain. She didn't want this anymore. She didn't want to be a royal. She wanted to be normal. Her heart clenched. The tears fell over her eyelids. "I don't want this anymore. I want to be a normal girl who can go out with her friends and not have everyone stare at her or give her gifts."

"I'm sorry, Neo." Mira pulled her into her arms.

Neo welcomed the warm embrace. She cried into her mother's chest until no more tears came.

"How about I take you and the girls out for a day at the beach?" Mira pulled back and wiped Neo's tears away. "Just the five of us. I can have the guards set up around us so no one will bother us."

"Could we?" Neo looked at her mom.

Mira nodded.

"I'd like that," Neo said.

"That's my girl," Mira said hugging her again.

"You do know that Dad and Kailen followed me," Neo said sitting back up.

"I do," Mira said. "They followed you right after they left. They're probably giving Lane the talking of a lifetime. So we'll have plenty of time alone until they get back."

Neo nodded. "Good. I love them, but I don't really feel like being around any guys right now."

…

"That jerk! That creep!" Poppy stomped around on the sand.

Neo stretched out on her towel under the warm sun as her friend ranted. She figured Poppy was actually stomping on Lane's head not the sand. Her heart flared up with joy. If she weren't enjoying the sun so much she would have joined Poppy.

"Are you going to do nothing but stomp around?" Violet asked while adjusting her bikini strap. "You're wearing me out."

"Yes! I am!" Poppy said. "That jerk is lucky I don't go stomp on his head!"

"Well, that's a lot less than what Kai wanted to do to him," Neo said.

"Dare we ask?" Violet rolled over onto her back.

"He wanted to pull Lane to his healer lessons and use him as a test subject," Neo said.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Lily said.

"They're studying advance anatomy, Lil," Neo said.

Lily's face paled. "You mean he…"

"That's right." Neo nodded. "Kailen was going to skin Lane."

"I might join him," Poppy said plopping down on her towel.

Neo glanced over at her mother. Like always, Mira was engulfed in her book that she had propped up on her knees, unaware of the conversation. It didn't matter though. Her mom heard all about it already.

"Well, he better not ever come around you again," Poppy said.

"I don't think you have to worry," Neo said. "I'm pretty sure his trip into the sea cured him of that."

"Think you'll try dating again?" Lily asked.

Neo didn't answer. Uncertainty bounced around in her head as she stared out at the horizon. It seemed impossible to find someone like that here. The only thing she knew was she didn't want to date a guy who did nothing but call her princess and treated her like one. But what kind of guy would that be?

 **Sarge1130: I'm not sure how Neo will be. She might be a mix of both parents. I was hoping to get Tao in there more. Would like to have more of Atlas but he's off doing** _ **other**_ **things. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	5. Growing up Royal P4

Growing up Royal

Part Four

Neo smiled as a small school of shimmering silver fish swam in front of her. They looped around, showing off their beautiful scales, before swimming away from her. Well, all but one swam away. One stopped to look at her before poking its small head into the air bubble that was created from a wind crystal she had around her face so she could breathe and see clearly. "Hello. How are you doing? That's good. Oh, I see. You better catch up to your school then. It's not good for you to be swimming alone out here. The sea is filled with lots of other fish that will eat you."

She giggled when the fish agreed and swam off in a panic to catch up with its school. Other fish stopped and took her and her bells in. She smiled at them. It was easy to tell they were new to the area and didn't know about her yet. "Don't worry. It's normal for my to have bells in my laughter."

Then a pod of dolphins swam up to her causing the smaller fish to swim away. They clicked and chirped at her while swimming around her. Their graceful moves pulled the water along her skin like silk. Which reminded her, she hadn't been to the silk farms in some time. She would have to go there soon and see how the silk worms were doing. It was obvious they were being taken care of, but she still liked to go visit them anyway.

The presence of her brother's earth nature appearing on the cliff brought her attention up to the surface. She didn't want to leave the watery world yet, but knew she needed to see what he wanted. If she didn't he would use seaweed to try and pull her to the surface. So bidding a quick farewell to her dolphin friends, she headed up. Breaking the water's surface, she lifted herself into the air with her wind crystals. In two seconds she was standing on the cliff with her brother and her clothes were completely dry. "Hey."

Kailen sighed. "You are so lucky I love you."

"What?" Neo asked, innocently.

"You know you should be back at the castle," Kailen said. "I just got an earful from Atlas because you won't go through the preparation for the coronation."

"No, I don't have to be back at the castle," Neo said. "I've already told everyone time and time again that I'm not going through that coronation without Godfather and the crew here. Besides, it's going to be the exact same as all my birthday parties. "

"It's tradition," Kailen said.

"It's boring," Neo said. "It's just the same thing year after year. I want to do something different for once."

"Like what?" Kailen asked despite already knowing the answer.

"I want to sail with Godfather," Neo said.

"I know you do," Kailen said. "But you know our mother isn't going to let you go with Shanks. And neither are the Elementals. That's why you haven't been allowed to leave the island. We need you incase the darkness crystal comes back."

"It's not fair. The darkness crystal never makes a second appearance," Neo said. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned away from him, her eyes locking out onto the horizon. "It's already been taken care of. Besides, other Elementals can go with him."

"Other Elementals aren't royal," Kailen said.

"Lucky them," Neo said. Locking her eyes on the water, she went over any possible way she could sneak out with the pirates. Nothing that came to mind would work. There was no way since her people could sense her. She was stuck here.

Through her thoughts she heard Kailen asked, "You're not thinking about stowing away on Shanks' ship, are you?"

Neo scoffed. "How could I stow away when everyone can sense where I am? You know that." She searched around for her guards. They weren't there. "It's shocking that the guards didn't follow me out here."

"I know." Kailen stepped up to her and pulled her into his arms, her back pressed against his chest. "And I'm sorry I can't change anything for you."

"You don't have to be sorry. I'm not angry at you," Neo said, resting against him. "It's not your fault that I was born a royal. I don't hate being one. And I do enjoy living here. I just want a little more freedom."

"I know that's what you really want. And, well, maybe I can cheer you up," Kailen said.

"How?" She glanced over her shoulder.

"Your favorite pirate crew has been spotted off the shores of Luminous." Kailen smiled.

"What?!" Neo pulled away from him and faced him with a glare. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Pulling the wind around them, she lifted them into the air. "You're a real jerk at times!"

"I was just waiting for the right moment," Kailen said. "Besides if you were so distracted by the sea creatures you would have sense the ship coming."

"You're just mean!" Neo pouted.

"I'm sorry." Kailen ruffled her hair, noticing it was down to the middle of her shoulder blades.

"What's wrong?" Neo asked when he paused.

"I was just thinking about you use to keep your hair in pigtails a lot of the time. Now your hair is down between your shoulder blades," Kailen said. "You've grown up faster than I wanted you to."

"Sorry. Not my fault," Neo said. "I can't control how God designed our bodies. At least you have all the babies you deliver to watch grow up."

"They're not our siblings though," Kailen said. "It's not the same."

"You'll still watch over them," Neo said earning a smile from Kailen.

"Help!" a small voice cried out.

The two siblings looked up in time to see a little girl flying straight up into the sky. Neo wrapped her winds around her. She pulled the girl back to her arms. "Hey, you okay?"

The little girl shook. Her tightly closed eyes opened. Tears flooded her cheeks as she clung to Neo. "Princess! I'm sorry! I lost control!"

"There, there." Neo hugged her tight. "I've got you now. You're safe."

"Why are you out here flying around by yourself?" Kailen asked. "You know it's not safe for you to do that on your own."

"I'm sorry," she said with a sniffle. "I'm having trouble controlling my crystals. I thought if I could get more practice I would be able to fly like everyone else."

"What's your name, sweetie?" Neo asked.

"Lani," she replied.

"Well, Lani, I can understand how you feel," Neo said.

"But you're the princess," Lani said wide-eyed. "You have great control over your crystals."

"But I didn't always," Neo said. "It takes time to get control. Don't push yourself."

"But I'm not good." Lani pouted.

"Summon one crystal," Neo said.

Lani obeyed and brought one out.

"Now, create a breeze big enough to hold your body in the air," Neo said.

"What if I fall?" Lani asked.

"You won't fall," Neo said tightening her hold on the girl. "I'm here to catch you. And so is Kailen."

Kailen nodded in agreement.

Lani wrapped the wind around her.

Once she had a good hold, Neo released all but one of her hands. "There you go. Just start of slow. That's it."

"I'm doing it!" Lani exclaimed.

"Yes, you are," Neo said. "I'm going to release you now."

Lami nodded.

Neo let go. "Hold on to the wind. You're doing great. You don't need a stronger gust. Once you get a comfortable hold over this then you can create a stronger wind. How are you feeling?"

"Great! I can do it!" Lani shouted.

"Yes, you can." Neo nodded. "Now it's time for you to go back home. And, please, walk home this time."

"Okay, Princess!" Lani nodded and hugged Neo. "Thank you, Princess! I can't wait to tell everyone how the princess gave me a flying lesson!"

"You're a sweet kid." Neo watched as Lani lowered herself down to the ground then run off.

"And you want to leave," Kailen said.

Neo's cheeks flushed. "Oh shut up. It would only be temporary and on occasion." Their eyes turned to the sea. In the distance they could see the sail were full, meaning the elementals traveling with Shanks was pushing them faster. "There it is!" She increased her winds. They reached the ship in seconds. She dove into Shanks' chest while sitting Kailen down on his feet. "Godfather!"

"Neo!" Shanks wrapped his arm around her.

Wrapping her limbs around him, she hugged him as tightly as she could. Taking in his familiar scent of the sea, fresh wind, booze, smoke from Benn's cigarettes, and freedom. It might not have been the best or healthiest smell in the world but it was one of her favorites. "Finally! You're here! I thought you'd never come back!" She looked up at them and glared. "How dare you keep me waiting for so long?!"

"I'm sorry, Neo." Shanks laughed, holding her tightly but loose enough he didn't hurt her. "We have pirate issues to deal with."

"But we quickly smashed our enemies and came right here," Lucky Roo said.

"You all look good," Neo said, scanning her eyes over the crew. "Are any of you injured?" She summoned her solar crystal, ready to heal them. "I can heal you if you are."

"Don't worry about it," Benn said. "We haven't been in a fight for weeks now."

"Okay." Neo banished her solar crystal.

"It's good to see you all," Kailen said.

"Kailen," Shanks said. "You've grown as well. How's the healer business going?"

"Great," Kailen replied. "I just delivered my twenty fifth baby last week. A healthy baby girl."

"Baby deliver looks good on you," Yasopp said.

"It's all thanks to Neo," Kailen said. "She inspired me to choose that particular field."

"Princess."

"Huh?" Neo looked over her shoulder when she heard Tao's voice. He stepped off a geyser of water and onto the railing of the ship.

"My father sent me after you," Tao said. "He really wants you to go over the preparations for the coronation."

"But that's so boring." Neo sighed. "I don't want to do it."

"Uh oh," an unfamiliar voice said. "Someone doesn't sound very happy."

"Huh?" Neo looked around the crew until she spotted a new face with spikey brown hair. "A new crewmate?"

"Yes." Shanks tapped Neo's side with his finger, their signal for her to release him. "Neo, this is Rocky. Rocky, this is my precious goddaughter and godson, Neo and Kailen."

"It's nice to finally meet you both," Rocky said, holding out his hand. "The crew and the captain have told me all about you."

"Nice to meet you." Kailen shook the pirate's hand first.

"Welcome to Luminous," Neo said, taking the man's rough hand. "I hope you find this place as a comfortable second home."

"You seem rather accommodating despite this being the first time we've met," Rocky said.

"I know you can be trusted," Neo said. "If you weren't trustworthy then Godfather would not have brought you here."

"I have been told that as well," Rocky said. "I promise I'll keep your people and home secret."

"I know you will," Neo said.

"Princess," Tao said.

"Fine. We'll go do boring stuff," Neo said with another sigh. "Let's return to the castle."

Neo wrapped her winds around them all and flew them all the way back to the castle. Cheers and greetings from the Elementals below them flowed up. The pirates waved and called back to them until Neo put them down right in front of the doors of the castle. Two guards opened the door for them.

"Well, it's about time, Princess," Atlas said greeting them just inside the door.

Neo wrinkled her nose. She wasn't sure why but the old man seemed to be angrier about things. His body was stiff, his knuckles white from gripping his staff, and his eyes burned with a touch of anger. It wasn't surprising at all that Kailen got an earful from him before. She was going to have to make it up to her brother. "My presence isn't needed for the preparations."

"It's your _duty_ to over see them," Atlas said. "You should have known better than to run off like that."

"Fine. I'm here," Neo said. "Bring all the stuff to the library. I'll go over it there."

"Yes, Princess." Atlas bowed his head and walked off.

"So what about Luffy? Have you seen him?" Neo asked leading everyone down the hall to the library.

"No, I haven't seen him," Shank said. "And as far as I know he hasn't become a pirate yet."

"I wonder when he'll become one," Neo said. They entered into the room. She sat down and curled up to Shanks' side after he set his sword aside. "You don't think he changed his mind, do you?"

The crew laughed. Shanks said, "Of course not. That boy is far too determined to become a pirate for anything to stop him."

"Too bad he's not one yet," Neo said. "I would have loved to see what he looks like." Her eyes drifted up to Shanks' hair. "Especially since he's wearing your hat. I wonder if it looks as good on him as it did you."

"I'm sure you'll see him soon," Shanks said. "Before long his bounty poster will be in the newspaper. He's going to shake up the world."

"I could see him a lot sooner if you would take me with you," Neo said.

"Neo," Kailen warned. Before he could say anything else, a familiar cry rang out in the room.

Everyone sighed. They all knew what was coming next.

Mira came running into the room with a pair of scissors in her hand. "Your hair is mine!"

"Ah!" Shanks screamed and scrambled backwards off the couch before dashing around the room "Will you stop chasing me around with those things?! You're going to hurt someone! Probably me!"

"I will not stop until I get a lock of your hair!" Mira said. Jutting the scissors forward, she came within an inch of Shanks hair before the pirate bolted to his left and then out of the library just as Rylan walked in.

"Your wife is crazy, Rylan!" Shanks' voice faded away as he ran down the hall.

Rylan stared after them. Crashed and bangs were followed by a few shouts before it all went quiet signaling the chase had been taken outside. "I really should have all the scissors banned from the island."

"I was hoping for more time with him before she arrived," Neo said, slumping down on the couch.

"At least you got into the library this time," Benn said.

"Yeah," Lucky Roo added. "Usually we don't even make it to the castle before she attacks the captain."

"So how's the pirate thing going?" Neo asked.

"Same as always," Benn replied.

"We did add another island to our territory," Rockstar said.

"What type of island?" Neo asked as Monstar crawled upon her lap.

"It's an island that's full of yellow and orange flowers on rolling hills," Rockstar said.

"Yeah, and they make him smell a whole lot better!" Yasopp said, causing the crew to laugh.

"Sounds great," Neo said, stroking Monstar's fur.

Before long several maids entered into the living room carrying samples of cloths, dishes, music, and other such things involved with the upcoming coronation. Among them was Prudence, the head castellan of the castle. The earth elemental was always the one who planned the parties and coronations on the island. Neo did her best listen to what the castellan was saying and make decisions when asked. But her attention was on the pirates' stories of their adventures and playing with Monstar.

"Princess, please, pay attention," Prudence said. "We need you to choose the menu for the coronation."

"Just do the menu we always have. It's not like we ever do anything different," Neo said. "And make sure to have fish for the crew." She turned to them. "Is there anything else you'd like?"  
"The cook brought some dishes he would like to help make," Benn said.

"Great." Neo smiled, noticing the absent pirate. "I'm sure he's already in the kitchen."

The preparations went on until a butler came in to inform them that dinner was ready. "Pardon the interruption, Princess. But dinner is served."

"Thank you," Neo said. Standing up, she led the group out of the library. She ran her hand over a table in the hall as they passed it. Its surface was smooth and freshly polished. "So where do you think Mother and Shanks are right now?"

"Probably on the other side of the island," Benn said. "They've been gone for almost two hours now."

"I wonder how much damage they have done to the island this time," Rylan said.

"I'm sure we'll hear about it soon enough," Kailen said.

"You are the worst woman on the entire planet," Shanks said as he and Mira entered back into the foyer.

"Did she finally get you?" Rylan asked.

"No," Shanks replied. He slipped his arm around Neo's shoulders when she walked over to him. "But she came very close a couple of times."

"Poor baby," Neo said slipping his arms around his waist.

"And one of these days I will," Mira said, spinning the scissors on her finger. "He's just lucky I ran out of energy and got hungry."

"Well, good evening, to all," Atlas said when he walked out of a nearby door. "I assume the preparations have been going well and you didn't spend all your time talking to the pirates."

Neo looked up at her godfather when she felt him tense under her touch. "You all right, Godfather?"

Shanks smiled down at her and tighten his arm around her shoulders. "Yes, I'm all right. I'm just ready to eat."

"Yes, the planning is going fine," Neo said. "If you would excuse us. We're late for dinner."

"Yes, of course," Atlas said with a bow. "I'm sorry to have stopped you."

"You know it's all right. Will you be joining us?" Rylan asked.

"No, thank you," Atlas said. "My son is waiting for me to return home." He bowed his head. "I hope you and your guests have a good evening, Princess."

"Thank you," Neo said. "You as well."

"As always, Princess," Atlas said before heading for the door.

"Let's eat!" Neo said.

The pirates agreed and head on towards the dinning hall. There their banquet was spread out before them with the smell of the spiced fish floating around in the air. They took their places. Shanks, like Neo always preferred him to do, sat at the head of the table. Her parents sat down on his left while she and her brother sat on his right while the rest of the pirates just sat where they pleased at the long rectangular table.

Neo sat down on Shanks lap.

"Neo, you know better than that," Mira said. "Sit in your own seat."

"Yes, ma'am." Reluctantly, she moved to her own chair just as the butlers and maids started pouring their drinks. The elementals listened to the pirates as they shared more of their sailing stories until it become late in the night.

Neo had her elbows on the table, much to her mother's dismay, and her chin resting in her palms while being enthralled with Shanks' story of a fight they had with a rival pirate crew when her mother announced it was time for bed.

Mira said, "All right, that'll be enough pirate stories for tonight. Neo has a long day tomorrow. And we all need to sleep."

"Mother, I'm fine," Neo said.

"No arguing, young lady," Mira said. "You're going to be bombarded with more preparations for the coronation. Atlas is getting antsy. Humor him for once. You've already put this off for over a year."

"Your mother is right," Shanks said. "Get it over with then we can have some real fun."

"Yeah!" Neo nodded.

"You two better not cause trouble," Mira said with a glare. "That snow storm you had Neo create four years ago was enough."

"Yes, Mother," Neo and Shanks said.

"And I do not want you up all night listening to Shanks talk about sailing," Mira said, turning her eyes to the pirate. "Do you hear me? Don't you dare keep her up all night long."

"I wont," Shanks said. "I promise."

Neo fluttered her eyelashes at her mom when the woman gave her and Shanks one last pointed look before heading out of the dinning hall with Rylan. The rest of them soon followed, all bidding their goodnights before separating on the second floor to head for their bedrooms.

Neo went to her own room to quickly changed into her pajamas before rushing down the hall to Shanks' room. She paused when Kailen appeared in his open door.

"Well, I guess you won't be sleeping with me tonight," Kailen said with a half smile.

"You could always join us," Neo said.

"No thanks," Kailen said. He stepped out in the hall to kiss her forehead. "I know you really enjoy your one on one slumber parties with Shanks. You don't get them much. But do as Mother said. Don't stay up too late."

"I'll try not to," Neo said before pecking his cheek. "Goodnight, Kailen."

"Goodnight, Neo," Kailen said.

Neo watched him go back into his room and closed the door before heading on to Shanks' room. She knocked on the door.

"Come in," Shanks said.

Neo entered into the room.

"You're a quick dresser," Shanks said.

Neo shrugged before climbing up on his bed. "Or maybe you're just slow."

"I've only been in here a couple of minutes," Shanks said. "And I only have one arm. It's not easy to dress like this, you know."

"Lame excuse." Neo narrowed her eyebrows at him and smiled. "You can find hundreds of people at once with one arm."

"Rats," Shanks said. "And here I was looking for some sympathy from my favorite goddaughter."

Neo snorted. "I'm your _only_ goddaughter."

Shanks laughed before stepping into the bathroom.

Neo waited patiently for him to return. When he did, a few minutes later, he shut the lights off allowing the moonlight to shine into the room. He then joined Neo on the bed and started his stories again until she fell asleep, snuggled up to his side.

…

"Neo, time to wake up."

Neo groan when Shanks called to her and snuggled under her blankets. "I don't want to."

"You have to," Shanks said. "Up now before your mother comes in here and accuses us of staying up late."

Neo forced herself to sit up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes while saying, "We did stay up late."

"I know," Shanks said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "But she doesn't have to know that." He leaned over and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Happy Coronation Day, Neo."

"Thanks, Godfather," Neo said.

He took her hand and helped her off the bed. "Now get up and get dressed."

Neo groaned. "But I don't want to. Today is going to be nothing but wishing me Happy Coronation Day from visiting with my people. I hate so much attention."

"You poor baby." Shanks wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sure one day someone will come rescue you from all this horrible stuff."

"Very funny." Neo wrinkled her nose at him. "The only way I'll be able to leave Luminous at all is when I'm six feet under."

"Please don't say that," Shanks said, his body becoming tense.

Neo gave him a curious look. "That's the second time you've tensed up. Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." Shanks relaxed. "I guess you just caught me off guard with what you said."

"I'm sorry. I don't wish any ill will on my myself," Neo said. "It's just I'm so tired of all the attention the elementals give me. I want to make my own decisions and go exploring the world for a while at least."

"The world is a dangerous place, Neo," Shanks said. "And most don't even know of your people's existence. We have to be careful not to reveal anything to the humans. A lot will want to come here and hurt you all for _scientific reasons_."

"But we're part of your territory," Neo said. "They wouldn't dare. Plus we're connected to nature. Humans are weak against it."

"That maybe true, but you all don't have an infinite supply of energy and strength," Shanks said. "Just behave today. You're nineteen now, almost twenty."

"Nineteen and still treated like a child," Neo grumbled.

"You stop with that grumbling and get dressed." Shanks pushed her towards the door.

"Yes, Godfather," Neo said.

…

Neo sighed as she held out her arms for Lyra and Medina to adjust her dress. Lyra, a water Elemental and Medina, an earth Elemental were being far too picky. All the tucking and tugging they were doing on her coronation dress was about to drive her insane. Multiple times she sighed heavily and shifted on her feet to try and get them to hurry up. It didn't work. She wished they would just leave the dress alone. No one would notice or care about a few wrinkles.

"Absolutely beautiful," Medina said, clasping her hands together.

"I agree," Lyra said.

Neo did everything she could not to roll her eyes. They always told her that no matter what she was wearing. She stared at herself in the three full-length mirrors she was standing in front of. This dress hugged her chest while the skirt flowed down over her matching shoes, and the sleeves were flared out like bells. Her hair was pulled up into an annoyingly tight bun with a few strains of curls handing down around it and her face.

"Let's see it with your wings, Princess," Lyra said.

Neo obeyed despite not wanting to. She summoned and spread out her wings, earning another round of Lyra and Medina telling her how beautiful she was. "Thank you, ladies." The maids reached to fiddle with her dress more, but she walked towards her room. "That will be enough."

"But we must make sure your dress is-" Medina started.

"I know you want it perfect," Neo said, sitting down on her round bed. "But it's just fine as it is. You may go now. I'd like a few moments alone to gather my thoughts."

"Yes, Princess," the maids said with a curtsy before they finally left the room.

Neo sighed and fell back on her bed. A minute later one of her guards knocked on her door. She groaned.

"Announcing, Shanks," a guard said.

"Let him in." The door opened then closed.

"Lyra and Medina would have a fit if they saw you laying down like that," Shanks said before joining her on the bed.

"I don't care," Neo said. "The coronation hasn't even started yet and I'm already exhausted from it."

"Well, I hope you're not too exhausted to dance with me," Shanks said. "And I'm expecting the first dance."

"I'm never too exhausted to do anything with you." Neo smiled at her godfather. She eyed his clothing. It was his typical outfit. Only it had clearly been washed for this party. She knew the other pirates would also be wearing their normal clothes. She was glad. It gave her a small feeling of normalcy in the mix of her strict royal heritage.

"Then shall I escort you to the ball?" Shanks stood up and bowed to her.

"Very funny." Neo narrowed her eyebrows at him.

Shanks winked at her. "It's your royal coronation. I'm going to treat you like the princess you are. It's only one night so get use to it."

"Fine." She held out her hand. When Shanks took it, she allowed him to help her stand up and step down from the steps. He then kissed her hand. "Who knew pirates has such wonderful behavior."

Shanks laughed. "Only for you, my dear. I shall never kiss another woman's hand."

"I'll hold you to that then." The two laughed as they headed to the doors. The guards opened it and they stepped out into the hall. On the way down to the ballroom, the maids, butlers, and guards greeted her with bows and praises. Through it all, she remained kind to them despite her wishing of wanting them to treat her like a normal elemental. They headed down the stairs. There Atlas was waiting for them.

"Good evening, Princess," Atlas said with a bow. "You look lovely."

"Thank you, Atlas," Neo said. She eyed the man's dark purple robe trimmed with gold sashes. It was the same one he always wore for a party like this. "And you look rather handsome tonight."

"Why, thank you, Princess." Atlas chuckled.

"Will I be sharing a dance with you tonight?" Neo asked.

"No, I am afraid not," Atlas said. "My knee has been bothering me as of late. But my son will be glad to dance with you."

"I would be honored," Neo said. "I hope you and your knee feel better soon." She summoned her solar crystal. "Shall I heal it for you?"

"That is very sweet of you, Princess, but, no," Atlas said. "This is just a wound of old age. It cannot be healed."

"I'm sorry," Neo said her crystal vanished.

"Don't be." He waved his staff. "Let us be off."

"Yes." Neo nodded. She and Shanks followed the old man into the door that was tucked inside of the side of the grand staircase. There they wondered down a well lit, but plain looking hall to the back entrance of the ballroom where the chatter of her people and the music from the orchestra greeted them.

"Please, wait here while I address you properly," Atlas said. He turned and walked out onto the throne platform.

Shanks kissed her forehead before leaving to join his crew.

Neo leaned to her right so she could look into the ballroom. It was filled like it always was. Though not everyone from the island could enter into the castle at once. So the backdoors were open and the guards were going to filter the people in and out during the entire party. The rest of her people were waiting around in the gardens that took up the space behind the castle or, for those who couldn't or didn't come, were still home. No one worked on a royal's coronation. It was a day that everyone, but for the workers of the castle and healers, took off. She felt guilty they had to work but that was just how it was here.

From this viewpoint, she couldn't see her family, but knew they were standing near the thrones. The rest of the pirates should also be standing near the throne platform. Three taps of Atlas' staff silenced both the people and the music. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the coronation celebration of our dear princess! We have gathered here to day to official welcome the princess into becoming queen! And now it is my pleasure to present to you, Princess Neo of Luminous!"

Neo's natural grace took over. With her back straight and her head held high, she walked out onto the platform. Her people clapped as she came to stand in front of her throne. Off to her right was a young boy holding a white pillow. On the pillow was her crown. The silver shimmered in the light. The five crystals, embedded in the five peaks, also shimmered. She could feel them calling for her.

"Princess Neo, do you solemnly promise to protect Luminous and the Elementals for the rest of your days?" Atlas picked up the crown and brought it to Neo's head.

"I so promise to do," Neo said. The second the crown was on her head, each one of her crystals appeared. The elements floated into the crystals on her crown. They shone brightly before fading. The elementals cheered for their new queen had finally been crowned. Raising her hand, her people silenced. "Thank you all. It is a pleasure and an honor to celebrate my coronation with you all. Please, enjoy the festivities now."

The crowds clapped again before going back to the food, talking, and dancing.

Neo ran her eyes over the floor. Like she thought her parents and brother were standing near the thrones while the pirates were standing just off the platform to her left. Also to her left were the large tables where the feast had been laid out. Several chairs and tables were in the back of the ballroom for those who felt like sitting down. The curtains from the large windows on the back wall were open to reveal the full moon. It made her wish she could disappear and go stare out at the sea.

She always loved it when the moon was full. It lit up the night so much she could see for what seemed like miles into the distance. But there was no way she would be able to slip away from the entire island on her coronation. Still, her brain tried to formulate plan. The pirates were most likely to help her. So she could have them to take her outside for some fresh air. With so many people moving around in the ballroom it was always stuffy until the wind elementals cooled the area off. She could say that she wanted to visit with the people outside then wonder off with the pirates.

"Queen Neo," Shanks said, pulling her attention away from escaping. He was holding his hand out to her in a half bow. "May I have this first dance?"

"Of course." Neo placed her hand in his and stepped down the two steps to the dance floor. "You did that on purpose."  
Shanks smirked at her. "What? You promised me the first dance."

"For someone who's hardly ever here you can sure read my mind easily," Neo said. Keeping her hand in his, she placed her other hand on his shoulder. Even in her high heel shoes she felt like a shrimp next to him. Her body was just naturally small like her mother's. They probably made an odd-looking pair dancing, but she didn't care. She was glad to be with him.

"I might not be able to see you much but I know that look in your eyes when you're looking for a way out," Shanks said. "You've had it since you were a child."

Neo huffed. She scanned her eyes out to the crowds. Finally, she located her friends. Violet was dancing with her newest boyfriend while Lily and Poppy were munching on some snacks. "Maybe it's because you're one of the few people who look past my royal status."

"I'm sorry that you feel so lonely living here," Shanks said.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," Neo said bring her eyes back to him. "Besides it makes these moment more special and important to me."

Shanks smiled. "I completely agree."

The night went on. After her dance with Shanks, she danced with her dad, her brother, Tao, her three friends, and then rotated between the rest of the pirates and the elementals. After three hours of dancing and eating, Neo was finally guided over to the table with her coronation presents. She nibbled on a piece of cake before getting to her gifts. Maids and butlers moved around her so they could take the gifts and place them out of the way while others gathered around her to watch. Most of the gifts, like always, were flowers, some had given her handmade items like blankets or dresses or scarves, while some kids gave her small bouquets of flowers. But the best gift came when she finally got to Shanks and the crew's gift.

Neo's lips curled into a bright smile when she pulled the book out of the bag. It was the one book she's always wanted, the one about Nolan the Liar. Unable to contain her excitement and keep her royal calm exterior, she leaped up from her chair and hugged her godfather and the crew. "Thank you so much! I love it! And I love you all!"

"Wow. Noland the Liar." Poppy picked up the book.

"Now maybe she'll stop talking about that book," Violet said.

Lily nodded.

"Neo, calm yourself," Mira said with an annoyed huff.

"Let her be, dear," Rylan said. "You know how much she loves to read." He elbowed his wife. "She's just like you."

"Oh, all right," Mira said. "I'll let it go just this once."

Kailen chuckled. "You do it more than you want to admit."

"Hush!" Mira said.

A couple more hours later, the party had finally ended. Neo had bid her guests a farewell before heading up to her room with her brother and new book, leaving the adults to talk amongst themselves. Her feet throbbed with each step she took. Trudging up the stairs, she said, "That was exhausting. I never should have put on these stupid shoes."

"I'm surprised you wore them as well," Kailen said.

"I should make a royal decree that shoes are forbidden from wearing hours on end," Neo said. She stepped out of them then picked them up. "At least for me."

"You could make that happen," Kailen said, they turned down the hall. "But no one can force you to wear shoes."

"I know," Neo said. They paused when they reached her bedroom.

"Well, get a good rest," Kailen said. "Don't stay up all night reading that book."

"I'm queen. I'll do as I please." Neo stuck her nose in the air. She squealed when her brother's fingers found their way to her sides. Laughter erupted from her. "St-stop that! K-Kailen! It tickles!"

"It's suppose to tickle," Kailen said, continuing his assault. "And consider this your punishment for acting like a brat."

"Okay! Okay!" Neo exhaled when he finally stopped. Her cheeks and sides burned from the laughter. "You're so mean."

"Go to bed." Kailen kissed her forehead.

"Fine," Neo said. She returned the kiss to his cheek before turning to her bedroom doors. She opened one of the doors and stepped inside. A few seconds later her maids knocked on the door and announced they there to help her undress and get ready for bed. "Come in." They entered. "I told you before that you don't have to help me dress and undress. I can handle that myself."

"It is our job, Princess," Lyra said. "I mean, Queen Neo."

"Please," Medina gestured towards the bathroom, "let's get you into your nightgown."

"I'll be wearing my white top and my light blue pants," Neo said as she walked into the bathroom.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," the maids said, following after her.

Neo waited for her maids to free her from her dress before putting on her nice, comfy pajamas. She then sat down to allow Lyra to undo and brush out her hair. Now freed, she stood. Collecting her book off her vanity, she headed back to her bedroom. "That will be all."

The maids didn't leave right away. Lyra turned on Neo's lamp while Medina rolled down the covers. They then bowed, said their goodnights, turned off the main light, and left.

With a sigh of relief that they were now gone, Neo propped her pillows up and sat down to enjoy her new book. The book fed her soul as her eyes devoured the words on each page that told of her Nolan's journey of finding an island of gold. She was halfway through it when something caused her to look up. Scanning her eyes around her room she found that nothing was out of place, until a shadow moved. She jumped, summoning all of her crystals, ready to fight. She lit up two fire crystals in each room. It pushed the shadows back, but none of them moved on their own.

"You're being silly," Neo told herself. "Shadows don't move. You're tired. That's all. Your imagination is playing tricks on you."

She dropped her eyes back to her book only to look up again a few seconds later. This time she placed her book down and walked over to her bay window. Sitting down on the large pad she moved closer to the window and pulled back the curtain. The full moon beamed down on the island. She could see everything clearly. The ward off to the right of the castle, the pirate ship still docked at the beach, the trees, the sea, everything seemed to be in place. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Rushing back over to her bed, she grabbed her book, shut off her lamp, and headed for the door, throwing it open a little harder than she had intended. The door swung back and banged against the wall.

"Queen Neo," a guard said, startled at her unexpected burst into the hall. He gripped his fists and peered inside of her room. "I thought you were asleep. Is something wrong?"

"No, I just couldn't sleep," Neo said. "I thought I would go curl up with Godfather for a while."

"Of course." The guard smiled and nodded. "Have a good rest, Your Majesty."

"Thank you." Neo bowed her head to him then headed down the hall. For a moment she wanted to go to Kailen's room to sleep with him, but her godfather wouldn't be here much longer. So she passed her brother's room and made her way to the next room where Shanks was. Knowing he would be asleep this late, she didn't even bother knocking on the door. She just opened it and slipped inside. The room was lightly lit with the moon breaking through the closed curtain. Her godfather's snores floated lazily in the room. She walked over to the bed and smiled down at her godfather.

In just a few seconds, Shanks opened his eyes and looked at her. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Sort of," Neo said.

Shanks' eyed the book in her hand. He sat up. "Reading late again."

"Yeah." Neo nodded.

"What's wrong?" Shanks asked.

"I'm not sure," Neo said.

"Come here." Shanks scooted over for her. When she did, he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight to his side. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"I just feel something different," Neo said.

"What do you mean?" Shanks asked.

"I don't know," Neo said. "I was reading and something suddenly felt wrong. It was like someone was in my room or watching me from the shadows."

"You know there's no one here that will ever harm you," Shanks said.

"I know." Neo nodded. "Still, I didn't want to be alone."

"You know you can always come to me when you need to," Shanks said.

"I know." Neo smiled up at him.

Shanks kissed her forehead. "Now put that book down and go to sleep. I don't want your mother yelling at me."

Neo giggled softly, her bells chiming. "Okay." She placed her book on the nightstand and snuggled down under the covers. "Goodnight, Godfather."

"Goodnight, Neo," Shanks said, tucking her in snuggly before slipping back down in the bed himself.

 **Author's Notes: I'm going to only post one chapter of this one a week. As it is now Neo and Law's relationship moves far too fast. So I'm trying to think of some more chapters to slow it down. I'm drawing a blank at the moment.**

 **Sarge1130: Shanks really loves Neo, doesn't he? I was hoping to give the three girls very different personalities. Guess I reached that goal.**

 **FanficReader1212: More coming.**


	6. Betrayal

Betrayal

 _"Hello?" Neo walked down the empty, dark halls of the castle. None of the guards, maids, or butlers appeared to be around. A chilly wind brushed over her skin. She shivered. Her heels echo through the air, sending another chilling shiver down her spine. Never before had the castle been this quiet, not even at night. Reaching the stairs, she looked down to see the ground level was flooded with darkness. Something shifted. "Is someone there?"_

 _Silence met her._

 _Swallowing, she stepped down the stairs. The darkness appeared to be pushed backed with each step she took. She took the last step. A sharp sting shot across her upper arm. Warm, sticky blood ran down her skin._

 _A chilling laugh came from the darkness._

 _She jumped. "Who's there?!"_

 _"Oh, Princess, you stupid, naïve royal," the voice said. "Did you really think that you got rid of me?"_

 _"Got rid of you?" Neo looked around. "What are you talking about?"_

 _"I'm here. I've always been here," it said. "You can't get rid of me. And now I will take everything you hold dear."_

 _Neo's heart and lungs clenched. She gasped for air. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"_

 _"You're going to lose them all," it said. "Everyone will turn from you. I will turn them against you."_

 _"No! Leave them alone!" Neo said. She summoned her crystals, her pulse hammering under her skin. "Come face me! I'm the one you want!"_

 _The voice laughed. "You cannot defeat me. It's too late."_

 _"No!" The darkness started swirling around her. Cries of help from her family and friends came from the darkness. "Mom! Dad! Kailen! Poppy! Violet! Lily! Where are you?!"_

 _Neo ran into the darkness. Lighting up her fire crystals she looked for them. Their cries never seemed to get closer. "Anyone?! Can anyone hear me?!"_

 _"Neo?"_

 _"Kailen? Kailen, where are you? I can't see you," Neo said._

 _"Neo, wake up," Kailen said._

"No," Neo whined. She curled into herself. "I can't. I can't. Kailen, where are you?" Tears leaked from her closed eyes. "Kailen!"

"Neo, I'm right her beside you. Wake up," Kailen said, shaking her. "Come on, Neo. It's just a nightmare. Wake up _now_!"

Neo gasped, Kailen's voice finally reaching her ears. She shot up in bed. Gasping for air she looked around the familiar sight of Kailen's bedroom. Everything was as it should be. His closet door was half open, a few clothes scattered on the floor, baby books were on his desk from his job, and he was sitting with her on the bed. She took his face in her trembling hands. "You weren't there. But you were there. I couldn't find you or anyone. The castle was dark. Everything was so dark. I was so scared. I didn't know what was happening."

"It was only a nightmare." He took her hands in his. "But it is odd. You've never had a nightmare before."

"And after that one I never want to have one again," Neo said. "It was horrible. The darkness had come back. And you all were…"

"What?" Kailen asked.

"It was inside of the castle," Neo said through her pants. "It said it was going to turn everyone against me."

"It was only a nightmare. The darkness can't speak," Kailen said. "You know that."

Neo took a relaxing breath, her heart slowing down. He was right. The darkness couldn't speak. It was only a nightmare. Nothing more. "You're right. But it felt so real."

"Nightmares can often feel like that," Kailen said. "You would know that if you had them."

"Do you have them often?" Neo asked.

"Not anymore," Kailen said. "I use to have them as a kid when my mom died. They were about her dying. Some were pretty awful."

"Sorry," Neo said. "I never knew."

"Of course you didn't. It's not like talking about childhood nightmares is a normal, everyday conversation," Kailen said. "I never had a reason to bring them up."

Neo hummed in thought.

"Feel better?" Kailen asked. "People usually feel better after talking about it."

"I guess so," Neo said. "At least a bit."

"Well, I'm sure you'll feel back to a hundred percent when you join up with your friends," Kailen said.

"Oh, yeah," Neo said wrinkling her nose. "They're suppose to be bring a guy they think will be great for me. Or Violet is."

"She does seem determined to find you a guy," Kailen said.

"Like dating is something I care about," Neo said.

"Well, it suits me and Dad find that you have no interest in dating," Kailen said.

"Hey!" Neo punched him in the arm.

"Can't help it. No guy will ever be good enough for my little sister," Kailen said.

"And no girl will ever be good enough for my big brother," Neo said. She narrowed her eyebrows at him and tightened her hold on his hands. "So no more getting close to Mia."

"Mia's a nice woman," Kailen said.

"You still bringing her to dinner tonight?" Neo asked.

"Yes." Kailen nodded. "It's time that you and our parents officially meet her."

"You sure it's a good idea to date someone you're working with?" Neo asked.

"We don't work together," Kailen said. "She's a kid healer in the ward. We don't even work on the same floor. So we're not really dating co-workers."

"Close enough," Neo said.

"Be nice to her," Kailen said.

"I'm always nice to people," Neo said.

"True. But this is the first time you're meeting a woman that I'm romantically interested in," Kailen said. He pressed a kiss to her hand.

"Hey, as long as she understands that I'm the number one woman in your life and she doesn't keep you away from me when I need you and as long as she doesn't hurt you, I won't care," Neo said. She threw her arms around his neck. "You were my brother long before she came along. And you're one of my top favorite person to cuddle with."

"And you'll always be my number one girl." Kailen chuckled wrapping his arms around her. "I have to get to work soon so lets eat. Get dressed."

"Okay." Neo released him. She rushed through her morning routine, staying in her pajamas, before heading down to breakfast where her family was waiting for her.

"Kailen told us about your nightmare," Mira said.

Neo sat down at the table. "I'm fine. Like Kailen said, darkness can't talk."

"Do tell us again if you have another nightmare," Mira said. "You might be getting stressed from all your royal duties."

"I doubt that's the cause of this," Neo said. "I've been stressed out before by them and never had a nightmare."

"Still, this is the first time you've had a nightmare," Mira said. "If you have another one you're going to the healer."

"Mom." Neo frowned. "It was just a nightmare. You're over reacting."

"I am not," Mira said. "This isn't normal behavior for you."

"Mom! I'm not a baby!" Neo said. Everyone stared at her. It wasn't normal behavior for her to raise her voice often either. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry. I guess that nightmare affected me more than I had thought."

"Okay, okay," Mira said. "I didn't mean to upset her highness."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Neo said. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

Mira nodded.

"It's understandable," Rylan said placing breakfast on the table.

"I'm sure I'll be back to normal once I'm with the girls," Neo said.

"And what are you four trouble makers going to be doing today?" Rylan asked.

"Nothing much," Neo said. "We're just going to be hanging out Lily's place. Violet's bring her boyfriend and a friend."

"A guy friend?" Rylan asked.

"Yes," Neo said. "But I doubt I'll find him interesting. No guy has caught my attention yet."

"Guess we'll see," Mira said.

…

"See you later!" Neo ran out of the house, finally dressed for the day. Taking to the air, she angled herself west and headed for Lily's home. Normally she would walk since Lily lived two blocks over. But she didn't want to get stopped by any elementals right now. After the morning she had with her family, she didn't want to risk biting anyone else's head off if she could avoid it. So she used this time to stretch her wings. It's been over a week since she had used them last. Within a few seconds, Lily's light yellow house came into view. She lowered down, breathed in the morning glories that were crawling up the walls, and entered. "Honey, I'm home!"

"Very funny," Lily said adjusting the flowers in the vase on the coffee table.

Neo shrugged.

"Are you thirsty?" Lily asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you." Running her eyes over the house. It was nice, smaller than her own home with the living room, kitchen, and dinning room all rolled into one room while the bathroom and Lily's room were off to the side. But since Lily was the only one here most of the time it made sense that the house wouldn't be so big. A couple baby rabbits ran around the room, chasing each other. They paused long enough to say hello before chasing each other again. "They're lively."

"They are feeling a lot better," Lily said. She had saved them when their mother appeared to have disappeared. Now they wanted to stay with her.

Neo was glad Lily had adopted the two rabbits. She didn't want her friend to get lonely when they weren't there. Sitting down she asked, "So where's everyone else?"  
"Not here yet," Lily said sitting down beside her. "I'm not sure what's taking so long. Violet is never late."

"Maybe she couldn't figure out what to wear," Neo said.

Lily nodded with a hum. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Neo said.

"You look distracted," Lily said.

"Do I really?" Neo looked at her friend.

"You do." Lily nodded again. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, well, I had a nightmare last night," Neo said.

"You had a nightmare?" Lily's eyes widened. "That's never happened before."

"Odd, I know." Neo shrugged.

"What was it about?" Lily asked. She gasped when Neo told her. "That's terrible. You must have been so frightened."

"I was," Neo said. "But luckily Kailen woke me up from it."

"He's a good brother," Lily said.

Neo stared at Lily. She didn't know why but something about her friend seemed different. Lily seemed a lot stiffer than she usually did. If something ever went wrong with a friend Lily was the first to hug them. That didn't happen this time. Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside. She had to be imagining things. Lily was still Lily.

The door swung open.

"We're here!" Poppy's voice then rang out.

Neo turned in time to see their two missing friends and a young man with them. "Where's-"

"I do not want to talk about _him_ ," Violet said with a wave of her hand.

"Little Miss Perfect and her boyfriend got into a fight on the way over here," Poppy said. "He went home."

"Oh," Neo said.

"He's a jerk! We are so over!" Violet said.

"So you've said a thousand times before we arrived," Poppy said. "I should have just come on my own. Why did I wait for you?"

"Should I ask what the fight was about?" Neo asked.

"Papayas," Poppy said.

"Huh?" Neo cocked an eyebrow.

"That idiot doesn't want us to feed our children papayas!" Violet sunk down in a chair.

Neo's eyes dropped to her friend's stomach. "Are you…'

"I mean our future children. We were talking about how we would raise our kids since we've been discussing marriage," Violet said.

"Really?" Neo said.

"He's just being a jerk," Violet said. "Papayas are good."

"You're both being jerks," Poppy said. "Arguing over something silly as children that don't even exist."

"He started it!" Violet snapped.

Neo pulled her eyes away from her friends. Standing off to the side was the guy she assumed Violet was going to introduce her to. He was a wind elemental. Only a few inches taller than she was with broad shoulders. He appeared to be on the shy side since he was staring down at his boots with his hands in his pockets. Standing up, she walked over to him. "Hello, I'm Neo."

"Of course you are. Everyone knows who you are," he said.

"Right," Neo said. "Sometimes I forget that. And I was being polite."

He smiled, forming a dimple on his right cheek. "I know, Your Majesty."

"You can call me Neo, um…"

"Raven," he said. "And, forgive me, but I'm not sure I'm going to be comfortable calling you by your name."

"Oh." Neo's shoulders drooped.

"But maybe if we get to know each other," Raven said.

"I guess we'll see then," Neo said, her spirits lifting a bit. Though she didn't get too hopeful. Other than her three girl friends and her family, no one called her by her name.

"Well, you two seem to be hitting off pretty well," Violet then said.

Neo turned to her friend. Her anger was gone and was replaced with a bright smile. "You're feeling better."

"Yeah." Violet nodded. "I'm so over what's his name." Resting her head on Neo's shoulders, she fluttered her eyelashes. "But I could use some cookies."

"Then how about I get cooking?" Neo asked.

"Oh no! I can't let you do that!" Raven said. "The royal should never cook for commoners! If Violet wants cookies then she should make them!"

"Yuck. I'm a terrible cook," Violet said.

"She's right," Poppy said. "Violet burns everything."

"It's not right," Raven said.

"Nonsense," Neo said. "I cook for my family all the time. I love it. My dad taught me. Though I'm no where near as good as he is."

"Don't be so modest," Poppy said. "You're just as good as your dad. Maybe even better."

"That's sweet." Neo headed for the kitchen. Without another word she pulled open cabinets and pulled out everything she needed. Soon cinnamon was in the air as well as heat from the oven.

"These are amazing," Raven said holding a cookie. "They're sweet and amazingly fluffy."

"If you like her cookies then you should taste her meals," Poppy said.

"If they're this flavorful I can't wait," Raven said. "I'm sorry about before."

"Don't worry. And thanks," Neo said. "I'm glad you like them."

…

"Now that was some amazing grub!" Poppy plopped down in the armchair, draping her leg over the arm.

"It was," Raven said. "I'm glad I decided to meet you. You're a lot different than I though you would be."

"I hope that's a good thing," Neo said.

"It is." Raven nodded.

"You two should totally go for a walk," Violet said.

"I don't know. I should probably head home," Neo said. "Mom and Dad will be returning from the restaurant soon."

"Don't be silly," Violet said. Grabbing their wrists, she pulled them off the couch then pushed the two towards the door. "Go have some fun. Get to know each other with out us listening."

"Like going to the beach will prevent the elementals from watching me," Neo said. But Violet wasn't listening. So she and Raven were pushed out the door. It shut behind them. With a sigh she turned to him. "I'm sorry. Violet can be very pushy at times."

"I know." Raven nodded.

"We don't have to go for a walk," Neo said. "You're probably in a hurry to go home."

"Not really." Raven shoved his hands in his pockets. "My sister is having a sleep over. So going home to eleven giggling girls who do nothing but gossip about boys and make up isn't high on the list."

"Oh. Okay then. Do you want to go for a walk?" Neo asked, her heart speeding up a bit.

"That would be nice," Raven said.

"Then let's go." Neo turned and headed away from the neighborhood. Their walk was a silent one, between them anyway. All the elementals that saw them of course whispered and gossiped. Even the animals seemed to be curious about the two on their walk.

"It's the queen."

"Who's the guy she's with?"

"Think he's a suitor?"

"I don't know. He's very good looking."

"Yes, he is."

"I'm sorry. Just ignore them," Neo said.

"It's all right." Raven scratched his ear. "They don't bother me."

The neighborhood gave way to the calming forest before they had finally reached the beach. Surprisingly no elementals followed but for the occasional guard that walked by to make sure their royal was safe from the guy she was with. Neo got good at ignoring them. She barely noticed they were there anymore. The only guard she always took noticed of and spoke to each time was Tao. But for some reason he hadn't been around lately. She was starting to miss his presence. He was pretty much like a second older brother to her.

She stepped out of her shoes, the sand warm on her feet. The beach was void of people but for them. The air and the water were especially clear today. She had hoped to see her godfather's ship coming in, but knew it wouldn't happen. It had only been two weeks since her coronation. And since the crew left again. It would probably be a few years before they came back to Luminous. Her heart cracked. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"You okay? You're crying," Raven said.

"I'm fine." Neo brushed the tear away then gripped her medallion. "Just missing my godfather and the crew."

"I probably should have known that," Raven said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Neo turned and walked along the water. The waves lapped up, cooling her feet. "So what do you think of them? The crew."

"I'm not sure," Raven said walking beside her. "I never met them personally."

"They're great," Neo said. "Next when they're here I can introduce you to them. If you want."

"Maybe," Raven said.

They continued walking.

Neo gulped when she felt Raven's hand brush against hers. It was hard to think that maybe this guy actually liked her for her instead of her royal status. He was cute and charming. But she wasn't sure if she was developing a crush on him or if she was excited about the newness of the situation. She recalled the times her mother spoke about her dad and how she knew she was in love with him. The signs were nervousness, sweating palms, heart fluttering, stomach spinning, stuff she wasn't feeling at all.

A shadow fell over them. Looking up Neo found they had walked to a rocky area of the beach. "Looks like we've reach the end of this beach."

"So we have," Raven said in a tone he's never used before. It was darker than what she's head before.

Neo knitted her eyebrows in confusion. She turned to him. Her heart jumped to her throat. His eyes were dark, almost black. She stepped away from him. "Raven? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Your Majesty," Raven said. He took a step closer to her.

Neo stepped back again. With each step she took he took one as well until her back was up against the rock.

"I just noticed how deliciously beautiful you are." Raven placed his hands beside her head on the rocks. He leaned in close.

"You're making me very uncomfortable," Neo said. "Please, step back."

"I can't do that." His eyes dropped to her lips. He smirked.

Neo twitched. Something wasn't right. She planted a hand on his chest. "Raven, I mean it. Back off."

"No can do." Raven leaned in towards her lips.

"Stop!" Neo summoned a wind crystal. She knocked him away.

Raven caught himself with his own winds. "I never knew you could be feisty. Though I shouldn't be surprised since you're mother is Mira."

"I'm not being feisty. I'm defending myself," Neo said. "You're stepping out of line."

"We all know you would have loved it." Raven dropped to the beach. "We all know how truly lonely you are."

"I'm not lonely!" Neo snapped. Though it wasn't completely true. Despite having her friends and her family, she was a bit lonely. And that was because she was a royal. It amazed her how lonely she could actually be with so many people around her.

Raven 'tsked' at her. "Don't try and hide it, Your Majesty. We all know it. We just don't say anything about it."

"I'm going home!" Anger burned in her chest. Neo lifted herself into the air. She looked back when Raven lifted too. Concern pounded her head when she thought he was going to follow. But he didn't. He just hovered in place. She turned forward and flew home as fast as she could. She was about home when she realized her guard never intervened. They always did when she was in situations like that. In fact she didn't even see the guard or sense him when she took off.

Something was wrong.

Neo looked down to the forest. All the animals had disappeared. She looked back to the sky. No storm was coming in at all. "What's going on here?"

"You can't be serious! That's way to expensive! You're nothing but a thief!"

"Don't call me a thief, you jerk!"

Neo scanned her eyes over the market. Two men were on the verge of a fistfight. They both had a hold of each other's shirt. She dropped down to them. "Enough. What is this about?"

"This guy is pricing his vegetables way to high!" the fire elemental said.

"I am not! They haven't changed!" the water elemental said.

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying!"

"Stop it right now," Neo said. "There is plenty of food on Luminous. We don't have to fight each other for it."

"Shut up!" the fire elemental snapped.

Neo jerked back, shocked. No one spoke to her like that. Never. The words were so shocking to her that she didn't even register the fistfight had started.

"Princess!" a voice shouted.

Neo felt her body flying, but she didn't summon her winds or wings.

"Snap out of it, Princess!"

"Huh?" Neo looked up to see Tao had a hold of her. "Tao?"

"There's something wrong," Tao said. "There are fights breaking out all over Luminous."

"What?!" Neo gasped. "Why?! How?!"

"I don't know," Tao said. Holding her hand he lead her all the way back to her house. "And I can't find my father anywhere. Have you seen him by chance?"

"No, I haven't. I've spent most of the day at Lily's then I was down on the beach with Raven."

"Who?" Tao asked.

"A guy Violet introduced me to. He was fine at first but then he tried to kiss me," Neo said. "It was very odd. His eyes turned dark."

"He tried to kiss you?" Tao frowned. "Wait. What do you mean his eyes turned dark?"

"They just did. One moment his eyes were normal greyish blue, the next they're almost black," Neo said.

"It can't be," Tao whispered.

"What? What can't it be?" Neo asked.

"It's not possible." Tao shook his head. "The darkness crystal has been defeated already."

"You think it's the darkness crystal?" Neo asked. "But how? I purified it already."

"I don't know," Tao said. "Unless its something else. But nothing else does that to us."

Neo's heart raced. It didn't seem possible that the darkness crystal could still be around. "It doesn't matter. I can just purify it again."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, _Queen Neo_ ," Atlas said.

"Father?" Tao and Neo looked to the door of the house.

Atlas was standing there, his hair and eyes darker than normal.

"Atlas, we have a problem," Neo said. "We think the darkness crystal has-"

"The darkness crystal never was purified," Atlas said.

"What?!" Neo and Tao asked.

"Apparently, _Your Majesty_ , as having only been conceived you weren't strong enough to completely purify it," Atlas said.

"Then I'll do it now," Neo said. She summoned her solar crystal. Her eyes, for whatever reason, went to the top of Atlas's staff. Sitting there in the curl was a dark blue, almost black, orb. She wondered when he put that there. Or if was always there and she just never noticed it.

"Just one moment." Atlas snapped his fingers.

Neo's heart clenched when her parents were marched outside, both tied up, gagged, and beaten. Four other elementals stood at their sides. They were dark as well. Her parents dropped to the ground. She clenched her fists. "What is the meaning of this?! Explain, Atlas! Why are my parents tied up and why have they been beaten?!"

"I am no longer a servant to you," Atlas said. "I will not answer those."

"Father, what had gotten into you?" Tao stepped between him and Neo. "What's wrong?"  
"What's wrong, you asked?" Atlas listed his head. "I'll tell you. I'm sick of serving this spoiled brat." He pointed the top of his staff at Neo. "You should have been the royal."

"What?" Tao asked.

"You have two elements. Why should only the ones born with all four and the solar crystal be the royal? Anyone else is just as capable," Atlas said.

"You know that's not how it works, Father," Tao said. "The royals are the only one who can purify the darkness crystals. It's always been like that."

"It's time for it to change," Atlas said. "Starting with the destruction of the current _royal_."

"Have you lost your mind?!" Tao demanded.

"I don't care if he has or not!" Neo said. With her crystals out she prepared for a fight and started washing the solar crystal's healing glow over them. "I'm going to purify the darkness crystal!"

"I won't let you!" Atlas shot a stream of water at her.

Tao blocked it with his own water. "Father, stop it!"

"I won't!" Atlas cried.

"Princess! The solar crystal!" Tao said.

Neo shifted her solar crystal, aiming it right at Atlas. She was on the verge of releasing its magic fully on him when the sharp points of Atlas's water pierced her parents in the chest. Blood ran down the front of their shirts. Her arms dropped to her sides, body frozen. Her eyes locked onto her parents. Their bodies slumped to the ground as the last of their lift drained from their eyes. Her parents looked at her. The last of their live begging for her to run. "No…you can't…this isn't…"

Her solar crystal vanished. Neo's mind went blank. Her eyes remained on her parent's lifeless bodies.

Atlas laughed. "What's the matter, _Neo_? I thought you were going to purify the darkness crystal." He pointed the orb at her. "Well, go ahead. I brought it here for you."

"What are you saying?" Tao asked.

"I made a deal with the darkness crystal," Atlas said. "I help it release the darkness and it helps me rise you to the throne."

"I'm not a royal!" Tao swiped his hand through the air.

"You will be once the former royal is killed," Atlas said.

"Princess!" Tao called. But Neo didn't move. "Neo!"

"It's over, Tao," Atlas said shooting a steam of water at Neo. "She's going to die. I've won. You will be the royal now."

"Are you insane?!" Tao said. Summoning his fire crystals he turned the water into steam. "I don't want to be a royal! I can't be!"

"Yes, you can," Atlas said shifting the top of his staff to Tao.

Darkness radiated from it. It flew over to Tao and engulfed him. "What's going on?!"

"You're going to kill the young royal," Atlas said. "Don't fight it, son. She's helpless now. No one will interfere. I've been taking over the island a little bit everyday since before the brat was born. Now was the perfect time to attack. Those pathetic pirates are no longer here."

"So that's it. You've been pushing the darkness into our bodies for so many years. You waited until you were strong enough. Then when Shanks and his crew left…when you knew they would be gone…you attacked. You ambushed her parents." Tao stepped back. He grabbed his pounding head. The darkness covered his entire body, seeping into his every pore. He could feel it. The darkness was taking over him. Struggling against himself, he tried to get Neo to run. "Princess…Your Majesty…you must…run."

Neo stood there. She didn't hear him. She didn't move. Her eyes remained on the bodies of her parents.

"Princess…Neo!" Tao walked towards her. His crystals angled towards her, their elements whipping around them. He was going to attack and nothing he could do would stop it. "Get…get away!"

Tears poured down her expressionless face.

"N-Neo, please," Tao begged as his body continued to move towards her. "Wake up. You have to get out of here." Tears pooled at his eyes when his elements were on the verge of snapping out at her. His attack fired. "No!"

…

Kailen paused. Looking up from his notebook he glanced out the window. Something was wrong. A crash out in the hall prompted him to get up and step out there. Two men were standing in the middle of broke glass, a vase with flowers was scattered on the floor.

"You jerk! Watch where you're going!"

"Me?! You're the one who came running around the corner!" He pulled back a fist and threw it at the other elemental.

"What in the world?" Kailen started towards them. He whipped around when another fight broke out down the other side of the hall. This fight involved two women.

"What?! How dare you say my baby is ugly?!"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?!"

"You little witch!" A slap of skin on skin erupted in the hall. It was followed by the cries of a baby.

"What's going on?" Kailen asked. A bad feeling about Neo washed over him. Without thinking he turned and ran for the exit. His feet carried him all the way home. His body jerked to a stop when he saw their parents laying on the ground in their own blood. Ice stabbed into his heart. His mind raced as his eyes darted towards Neo. He swallowed. He could tell she had witnessed their murder. She was frozen in place. Suddenly, Atlas attacked her. He rushed forward, thankful when Tao stepped in to protect her. But that was a short-lived feeling when Tao turned his crystals on Neo. Summoning his crystals, he snapped a vine towards his sister, pulling her away from the danger. Lifting them into the air on a large leaf, he held her tight to his chest while moving towards the beach. He looked down at her. Her once bright blue eyes were casted over with grey. "Neo? Neo, can you hear me?"

Neo didn't.

Kailen carried her all the way to the beach before sitting her back down on her feet. He grabbed her shoulders. "Neo? Neo, snap out of it. I know this is a bad time but you need to come back to your sense."

She didn't.

"I'm so sorry for this." Kailen pulled his hand back. And slapped her.

Neo blinked. Her eyes turned back to Kailen, her brain buzzing with the strange stinging on her cheek. "Kailen…Mom…Dad…Atlas…he…betrayed us."

"He did what?" Kailen asked.

Tears poured down Neo's cheeks. She dropped her forehead to his chest. "Mom…Dad…"

Kailen wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm sorry. I should have been there."

"Tao is…" Neo looked back towards their home.

"The whole island is going dark," Kailen said. "Fights are breaking out at the ward. You have to use the solar crystal before someone gets hurt."

"Solar crystal," Neo said. Her eyes widened. Her heart seized.

"Neo? What's wrong?" Kailen asked.

"I…I can't," Neo said. "It won't come." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm cold. It's so cold."

Kailen cursed under his breath. Whipping his eyes back to the forest, he could feel them coming. "We have to get out of here."

"Your Majesty! Kailen!"

Kailen turned his eyes to find Topaz running up to them. "Topaz."

"I'm so glad I found you," Topaz said. "Everyone in the castle is going crazy!"

"So is everyone else," Kailen said. "Apparently the darkness crystal wasn't purified."

"Then the princess needs to purify it," Topaz said.

"She can't," Kailen said.

"What do you mean?" Topaz looked at Neo, taking in her wet and red eyes. "What happened to her?!"

"Atlas." Kailen's voice cracked. "He killed our parents."

"What?!" Topaz whipped her eyes back to him.

"Neo saw it," Kailen said. "Now she can't summon her solar crystal."

"This isn't good," Topaz said. "The elementals are coming closer." She looked to the forest before looking back at Kailen. "You have to run."

"What?" Kailen said.

"We need Neo alive," Topaz said. "If she can't use the solar crystal then she needs to be taken away from here."

"She can't leave this island!" Kailen said.

"We don't have a choice!" Topaz snapped. "She's no longer safe here! None of us are! Take her and go! When she can use the solar crystal comeback and purify us!"

"Us?"

"The darkness is absorbing into my body as well," Topaz said. "I can feel it."

"But how?" Kailen asked. "And why don't I feel it?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you live with the princess," Topaz said. "There's no time to think about it. You have to get her off this island. Go find Shanks."

Kailen gritted his teeth, clenched his fists. He hated this.

"You know you have to take her away from here," Topaz said. "She'll be safest with him. So go."

Kailen's heart pounded against his ribs. Topaz was right. With Neo in the state of shock she was there would be no way to get her to use it. And they were already being attacked by the elementals. He whipped to the water, calling up a whale to give them a ride.

"I'll hold them off as best as I can," Topaz said.

"Be careful, Topaz," Kailen said picking Neo back up in his arms.

"You're the ones who need to be careful," Topaz said. "Remember how dangerous is it out there."

"We'll be fine," Kailen said. "I'm sure we can get to Shanks."

"Then go," Topaz said.

Kailen nodded. He walked out into the water. Using some vines, he pulled them up onto the whale's back. They took off just as a couple dozen elementals rushed the beach. He could see them. All of their eyes, their hair, their very souls had been taken over by the darkness. Topaz created a wall of fire, holding back the elementals only for a moment. They broke through. "You have to go faster!"

The whale sang and picked up speed.

Kailen used his own crystals to throw up anything he could use to delay the elementals, vines, seaweed, and animals that hadn't yet ran away. But it wasn't enough. They came faster. And so did three familiar faces.

"Stay away from them!" Poppy cried out. Her fire wrapped around the elementals bodies.

"You better take care of our girl!" Violet called out.

"Please, be careful out there!" Lily added.

"We will!" Kailen called back, grateful they still had some allies. He watched as long as he could. Neo's friends, and others who hadn't been taken over the darkness yet, fought hard to give them time to escape. All too soon their home was covered in darkness. Atlas stood out among the elementals on the beach. His dark eyes followed their movements. "You traitor. What have you done?"

He forced himself to look away. Looking down at Neo, he found her to have gone catatonic again. He's seen that look many times in the ward. He just hoped and prayed this wouldn't affect her to the point of never being able to use the solar crystal again. No, he couldn't think like that. He wouldn't allow it. They would find their godfather, take time to heal, and return Luminous to reclaim their home. He tightened his hold on her. "Don't worry, Neo. I'll find Shanks. And I promise I will keep you safe."

Kailen kept a close look out for the next few hours. The sun had set. The moon had risen. But if the elementals were following him they were being extremely quiet about it. Feeling their whale friend growing tired of traveling nonstop, he decided they should be far enough away from the elementals to take a rest. He looked up to see an island. "Let's stop there."

The whale sang in response. It headed over to the island, pulling right up to the shore.

"Thank you, my friend. You should go rest," Kailen said stepping upon the shore with Neo in his arms. The whale responded with a sad song, bobbing up and down in the water. "Neo will be fine. She's just in shock. Please, she would want you to rest."

The whale gave one last look at Neo before dipping under the water.

Kailen sighed. His body was growing tired now that the adrenaline slowed down. Connecting his mind to the island around him, he found a cave a few yards inside the forest. He walked towards it. The thick canopy didn't allow for any moonlight to light his path. He had to rely on the forest to guide him. Finally, after three minutes of dodging thorns, falling limbs, and other obstacles, they had reached the cave. Using his crystals he formed them a bed of leaves and flowers, making sure to use flowers with calming scents. Neo needed to rest as peacefully as possible. Once he had her in place, he laid down beside her. Keeping himself between her and the cave entrance. If any elementals showed up he wanted to between them and her.

The night was long. He was restless the entire time. Creatures of the night ventured in and out of the cave to inspect them, the strange intruders that they had never seen before. Like always, the animals didn't care they were there. They were a part of nature to. Some even curled up against Neo, keeping her warm through the cool night. Some even curled up against him. He figured they sensed the danger they were in and wanted to help anyway they could. Kailen was grateful for it. With Neo unconscious he was unable to start a fire to keep them warm.

Finally, with the warmth of the creatures against his skin, he drifted off to sleep.

…

Neo's mind was restless. Over and over again her dreams turned into the same nightmare. She witnessed her parents' murder. It always started of nice with a pleasant memory of herself and her family. Then it turned dark. The entire island of Luminous darkness around her. Then it happened. Atlas appeared. He killed her parents. The blood mixed in with the water, dampening their clothes. She screamed. The dream turned nightmare would rest. And it happened all over again.

She wanted to wake up. She wanted to stay asleep. She wanted this nightmare to end. But it wouldn't. It would be a nightmare no matter if she were asleep or awake.

"Neo, wake up," Kailen called.

Neo opened her eyes. Warm tears were streaming down her face. She covered her eyes with her hands. "Kailen…Mom…Dad…they're…"

"I know," Kailen said. "I saw them. And you told me about Atlas back on the beach."

"The beach? I don't remember. What do we do?" Neo cried. She covered her face with her hands. "How could this have happened?! Why couldn't I sense the darkness?! They're dead because of me!"

"Neo, don't do that," Kailen said. "They're not…it's not because of you. Something happened. I don't know what, but Atlas did something. He tricked us all."

"I should have sensed it," Neo said.

Kailen rubbed his neck, unsure of what to say. "Look, Neo, we're going to find Shanks."

Neo looked at him through her tear-blurred eyes. "Godfather?"

"He'll know what to do," Kailen said. "Right now you have to be strong. We can't stay here any longer. The sun has already started to rise. You know they'll be looking for us." He placed his hand on her arm. "I'm sorry. We have to go. Now."

Neo nodded. She knew he was right. There was no way she could lay there and feel sorry for herself. Now they had to get going. She would play the blame game later. She sat up.

"That's my girl," Kailen said.

Neo took his hand, letting him help her to her feet. They exited the cave.

"Can you fly us for a while?" Kailen asked.

Neo nodded. She summoned her wind crystals. Nothing happened. "What the…?"

"What's wrong?" Kailen asked.

Neo tried again. Nothing happened. Her heart throbbed. Her eyes widened. An icy grip took a hold of her. She whispered, "No…"

"Neo, what's is it?" Kailen asked.

"I can't…I can't summon my crystals. None of them."

 **Author's Note: I had no idea how to handle this chapter. Hope it's okay.**


	7. Lost

Lost

Neo stared off into space. She couldn't believe it. Her crystals were gone. They weren't responding to her calling for them. Her heart raced so hard that she didn't even hear her brother calling for her for several minutes. Warm hands placed themselves on her cheeks. She was so cold.

"Neo? Neo? Neo, can you hear me? Neo, you have to snap out of it. Neo!"

She jumped. Her eyes came back into focus. Kailen's concerned green eyes stared back at her. "Kailen…"

…

Kailen forced himself not to panic as he continued to call to Neo. Her skin was so cold under his touch. He watched as her eyes, her once bright, lively eyes pull some life back into them. But his heart sank, as her eyes were still grey from the horror that she had seen back on their island. They were lucky that she didn't completely slip into a coma. Though he pretty sure that wasn't possible. Still he knew he had to keep a close eye on her right now. She wasn't in a good state of mind. And now this was happening with her crystals. He sighed. "Come on. We have to get out of here."

"But…but my crystals," Neo said.

"Don't worry about that right now," Kailen said taking her hand. "We'll figure it out when we find a safer place to think. We really need to go right now. Come on."

He pulled her to her feet. Walking out of the cave he sensed around for any animal that could help them move away from this place. A pod of whale was swimming by. He mentally called out for them while guiding his sister through the trees. Several animals came out to inspect them. It was obvious to him that they wanted to play with the two strange creatures in their world. And as much as he would have loved for Neo to spend some time with them, Kailen knew they couldn't. "I'm sorry, everyone. We have to leave. We're being hunted. Our people have turned on use because of the darkness crystal. If you see anyone else like us don't tell them which way we went. They want to hurt Neo. Please, keep our secrets." They agreed. "Thank you."

One of the whales swam over the edge of the island. Her wet grey skin shimmered in the sunlight.

"Please, we're trying to find our godfather," Kailen said. He guided Neo onto the whale when she agreed to give them a ride. Guiding Neo to sit down in front of him, he sat down behind her. "Let's go."

The whale swam away from the island.

Neo leaned back against him. She whispered. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I connect to my crystals?"

"I think you've just suffering from shock because you saw…" He stopped when he felt her body jerk.

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't…Mom and Dad…"

"Neo, it's not your fault," Kailen said tightening his hold on her. "We all were tricked. Somehow."

"But how? The darkness…I thought that it was purified," Neo said.

"We all did," Kailen said. "Something must have gone wrong. You were only conceived. Maybe your magic wasn't strong enough to purify it completely."

"And Atlas?" Neo asked.

"I don't know," Kailen said. "I never saw him as the type of person who would do something like this."

"He did. He wanted Tao to be the royal," Neo said.

"He what?"

"I remember," Neo said. "He wanted his son to rule." Tears leaked from her eyes. "He hated me. I never knew. He sought out the darkness crystal to do…Kailen."

"Hush now." Kailen tightened his arm around her even more. He didn't want her to relieve that moment anymore than she had to.

"Kailen, I want to see Godfather," Neo said.

"We will," Kailen said. "We're looking for him now. First we have to get farther away from the elementals. Then we need to find an island and looked at recent newspapers. If we're lucky Shanks and crew have been causing trouble. So they should be easy to find. I hope."

"But what if they're in the New World?" Neo said. "We can't get there without going underwater. And I can't…my crystals."

"We'll find other elementals that haven't been taken over by the darkness," Kailen said. "Remember some live among the humans. They'll help us."

He watched her nod then take a hold of her medallion. She turned more into him.

"I'm so sorry, Kai. I should have sensed it," she whispered. "This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault." Kailen pressed a kiss into her hair. Her body leaned heavily against his. He knew she didn't get much sleep last night. "You should rest. I'll wake you when we reach an island."

Neo nodded. Her body went limp against him.

"You'll be fine, Neo," Kailen said. "I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you. We will find Shanks. And we will return home."

A few whales sang, pulling the elemental's attention to them.

"She'll be fine. She's just a little lost right now," Kailen said when he noticed they all were worried about her. "It'll take some time but she will come back to her normal self. We just have to find our godfather. He'll help. He'll know what to do." He clenched his teeth. His heart took several painful beats. Tears stung his eyes. Their parents were really gone. And there was nothing he could do about it. "I'm sorry, Neo. I'm sorry I can't do anything for you right now."

The hours passed. Kailen kept a close look out for islands or ships. None of them came into sight. Summoning an earth crystal he grew him a couple pears. Biting into them he found them tasteless. The loss of their parents and home had affected him more than he had realized. But he knew he couldn't break. He had to remain strong for Neo.

Another hour passed. They were going to have to find land soon. He could create himself enough food to eat but he couldn't create water. Not without Neo. And she couldn't use her crystals right now.

A whale swam closer.

"What is it?" Kailen looked down at the whale. "Really? We're coming upon land? That's great."

He watched the horizon for the land mass. Soon he could feel it before it finally came into view. Reaching the island he used his vines to pull him and his sister upon the bank. "Thank you all for bringing us this far. Please, don't tell anyone that you saw us. I know our people will be looking for us."

The whales agreed with a chorus of song before diving back under the water.

"Thank you all so much," Kailen said. He watched them go before turning his attention back down to Neo. She was still asleep in his arms. Her face twisted up with another bad dream. Looking around he knew they had to move into the forest. Standing there on the edge of the island, they were far too open. Turning away from the water he stepped into the forest, sensing out a place where they could rest. He found it in a thicket of trees. A few deer were near by so he figured it was their home. The grass was pressed against the ground where the deer had been lying. He placed Neo down on the ground. He didn't want leave her alone but his dry throat prompted him to find water. Standing up the deer, a mother and her fawn, greeted him. "Please keep an eye on her. I need to find some water."

The mother nudged her baby. The fawn walked over and laid down beside Neo, curling up at her side to keep the elemental princess warm. The mother then nudged Kailen and led him back out into the forest. He gave Neo one last look before giving the mother deer his full attention. A stream appeared in his mind. She was leading him to the water near their home. "Thank you so much."

The deer stepped around a large tree. There was a small stream. Kailen summoned his earth crystals, forming some leaves he created them some leaf water containers, filled them, and then headed back to Neo. There he sat down and waited for her to wake up. While he waited he went over how they were going to find their godfather. They couldn't just tell people why they were looking for Shanks and his crew. And they certainly couldn't tell anyone that they were Shanks godchildren. He knew all too well what happened to children of pirates, but he had no idea how anyone would react to godchildren. Though he was more concerned about how they would be treated because they were elementals. Humans often feared what was different from them. And Shanks had told them before to be careful if they ever found themselves among the humans. The thought had his mind drifting back to the first time he had heard Shanks tell him this. Neo hadn't been born yet.

 _"If somehow you find yourself in the human world you must be extremely careful," Shanks said._

 _Kailen looked up at the man sitting beside him. They were at the edge of the water, skipping stones over the calm surface. "Why?"_

 _"People will know that you're different from them," Shanks said. "Some humans are good and will help you if you need it. But others are bad and will try to hurt you or use you for their own gain. On this side of the Grand Line most aren't strong enough to know that you are different. They will only sense that you are. However, there are some that will be able to tell that you are different. You must also be aware of a power called haki. There are three types, conquers, armament, and observation. Conquers haki can knock a person out if their will is weak. Armament can harden a person's body or weapon. And observation haki is where people can see a person's spirit and see a few seconds into the future. This one people will be able to see your spirit too. Elemental spirits are different from human. They are colorful while human spirits are always white. Promise me that you will take care if you ever find yourself in the human world."_

 _"I will, Shanks," Kailen said. "I promise."_

 _"You can always come find me," Shanks said. "And I have allies that know about your people. You can rely on them if you need to."_

"We need to get to the New World or find some friends of Shanks," Kailen said. A light bulb went off in his head. "That's it! The Dark King! Silvers Rayleigh! I know he'll help! We just have to get to him. But where is he? Where would he be? The New World? Or is he here in the Grand Line somewhere? Shanks has mentioned Sabaody several times before. I guess that's as good as any place to look."

Neo's whimpering gained his attention. Looking down he found her face was twisting up more than before. Her bad dreams but have been morphing into a nightmare. He reached for her then paused. His mind whipped back to the nightmare she had before. "It's not possible. How could it…?" His mind buzzed. "Is it really possible that Neo subconsciously knew the darkness crystal was there? Or was it just a coincidence?"

…

 _Neo ran, her feet splashing into the wet ground below her feet. The liquid splashed upon her feet and ankles. It was warm, very warm. Her heart throbbed. Her mind screamed at her to not look down but she couldn't stop herself. She looked down. It was blood. She was running through blood. And she was running towards something. Her legs continued to carry her somewhere. "No, please."_

 _The blood rose up to her knees. It slowed her down, but she did not stop until she came upon their house. Her parents were lying on the ground, blood pouring from their chests. Tears streamed down her face. Their eyes started up at her completely void of life. "No."_

 _Darkness rose up around their bodies. A cold, raspy voice said, "You should have saved them."_

 _"I tried," Neo said._

 _"No, you didn't," the voice said. "You let them die. You knew what was happening."_

 _"No! I didn't!" Neo grabbed her head and stumbled back. "I didn't know!"_

 _Thunder cracked above her. She jumped._

 _"You killed them because you didn't stop it," the voice said._

 _"I didn't! I tried! I didn't know the darkness was there!" Neo dropped to her knees. The blood continued to rise, darkening her skin and clothes. "Please stop! Just stop it! Mom! Dad! Kailen! Godfather! Someone! Help!"_

…

"Neo, wake up," Kailen said shaking her shoulders. "Wake up. You're having a nightmare."

Neo's eyes snapped open. Her eyes locked onto Kailen's. Her hands locked around his shirt as she grasped for air. "Kailen…"

"It's okay." Kailen pulled her up and into his arms. "Shh. It's okay."

Neo shook her head, her tears wetting his shirt. "I'm so sorry."

"I know," Kailen said stroking her hair. "I know."

Thunder rumbled overhead.

Neo looked over his shoulder. From the opening of the thicket she could see the rain beating down on the forest floor. "Where are we?"  
"On another island," Kailen said. "I haven't gone into the town yet. I didn't want to leave you here alone."

"How long have I been sleeping?" Neo asked.

"About six hours," Kailen said.

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "I'm being selfish. Our parents were just…and all I can do is pity myself."

"Neo, stop that," Kailen said. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But you're not even crying," Neo said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "And I'm a blubbering mess."

"You have always been more emotional than I have been," Kailen said wiping her tears away; more fell in their place. "I have cried. How could I have not?"

Neo sniffled and looked up at him. There was a light puffiness around his eyes. "I'm sorry. What do we do now?"

"I've been trying to figure that out," Kailen said. "I think we should head to Sabaody."

"Why there?" Neo asked. Her attention turned to the deer when the fawn laid his head on her lap. She stroked his fur.

"It's the best place to find Shanks or Rayleigh," Kailen said.

"Rayleigh? You mean the Dark King?" Neo asked.

Kailen nodded. "We're still going to check other islands and the newspapers for news on Shanks and the crew. Most likely Shanks is going to be in the New World. And the entrance to there is there near Sabaody."

"Do you think the Dark King is there?" Neo asked.

"It's possible," Kailen said. "We'll see when we get there. If not there should be plenty of pirates who might know where he is." He hugged her. "We're going to be fine, Neo. We have my crystals to keep us fed. And the animals can show us where to find water. Which reminds me. You need to drink some." He picked up one of his makeshift leaf containers. "Here."

Neo took it and drank. "Thanks." A pause. "When are we going into town?"

"With how strong this storm is we might not be able to until tomorrow," Kailen said just as more thunder rumbled overhead. "You should eat something."

"I'm not hungry," Neo said.

"Neo, you need to eat," Kailen said.

"No." Neo rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She heard Kailen sigh but he didn't push the matter. They stayed silent, listening to the thunder and the rain beating down on the ground and leaves. After an hour of silence, she whispered, "It's never going to be the same. Is it?"

"No, it won't," Kailen said. "I know the pain is still fresh, but our parents wouldn't want us to dwell on this. They loved us very much."

Neo nodded. "I'll try to be strong."

"That's my girl." Kailen pressed a kiss into her hair. He created her an apple. "Will you eat now?" He started it for her with a small bit. "Just a little bit."

Neo took the apple. She took slow bites of it and chewed it mindlessly. Unable to even eat half of it, she allowed the deer to finish it. The mother took a few bites but let her baby finish it. As the day went on, she continued to curl up next to Kailen. Neither one of them spoke up. There wasn't much they could say. Both were still reeling and healing from the tragedy that fell upon their home, the only home they had ever known.

Early the next morning the storm had finally stopped. The sun broke through the leaves and poured into the thicket. It woke Neo up from her restless slumber. She sat up and yawned, grateful she didn't have another nightmare about her parents and blood. Her eyes turned to the colorful rays. The redness of them reminded her of Shanks hair but also of the red band around the straw hat he use to wear, the one he gave away to Luffy. "Kailen?"

"I'm awake." Kailen sat up.

"You didn't sleep well, did you?" Neo asked.

"No," Kailen said. "I think were both going to do without a good night's rest for a while."

"That pain will go away, right?" Neo asked.

"Of course it will," Kailen said. "It'll only take time."

"Kai?" Neo asked.

"What is it?" Kailen looked at her.

"Luffy." Neo lifted her eyes to him. "We should also look for Luffy."

"Why him?" Kailen asked. "Where did this come from?"

"The sun," Neo said. "The red reminded me of Godfather's hat. The one he gave to Luffy. Luffy will be looking for Shanks. He'll be one person we can trust."

"I guess you're right," Kailen said. "And since he wants to be a pirate too he'll be heading to the New World at some point. We might be able to get a ride with him."

Neo nodded.

"All right." Kailen pushed himself to his feet. "We need to get going then. It's not safe for us to stay in one place for too long."

Neo nodded again. She stood up, the deer following her. Outside of the thicket, the deer took off in the opposite direct they went in. She watched them disappear before following Kailen towards the town. The wet ground soaked her feet. "I forgot about my shoes. I left them back on the beach when…"

"We'll get you some new ones," Kailen said. "Until then I can make you some using my crystals."

"I'll be fine. I don't mind going barefooted for a while," Neo said. "But how are we going to do that? We don't have any money that the humans use."

"We'll figure out something," Kailen said. "We won't need much money since we can make our own food."

Neo flinched.

"Sorry," Kailen said.

"I feel so lost," Neo said. "I know my crystals are still there. But I can't feel them at all."

"I know." Kailen took her hand. "You'll get them back. They're a part of you after all."

"I hope so," Neo said. "But nothing like this has ever happened before."

"I know," Kailen said.

They went quiet after that. She was right. Nothing like this had ever happened before that they knew of. They had no idea if Neo would get her crystals back or not. Without them she was helpless out here.

The higher the sun rose in the sky, the move it beamed through the leaves and branches. It warmed the area around them and dried up most of the rain that had fallen. Forty five minutes later, they could finally hear sounds of the people in the town talking and laughing.

Neo scanned her eyes over the people. They looked so normal, so similar to her own people. The only differences that she could see were their hair color. She wondered how many humans, if any of them, would have green and blue hair. Hopefully they wouldn't be sticking out too much. "Are we safe here?"  
"We should be," Kailen said. "Remember what Shanks told us. Humans will sense we're different but won't be able to tell why. Only those strong enough or who have observation haki will know we're different."

"I remember that." Neo nodded. "Haki users will be found more in the New World than here."

"Let's hope so," Kailen said leading her into the town.

Neo watched the people around them carefully. Her body was tense. Her heart pounded so hard she thought she was going to be sick. Her mind fed her images of humans instantly noticing who they were and try to hurt them.

"Calm down, Neo," Kailen said. "You're breathing far too hard."

Neo started. She hadn't realized she was breathing heavy and hard until he spoke to her. "Sorry."

"They're not going to hurt us. They barely notice we're here," Kailen said.

Neo looked around. He was right. The people here barely noticed they were even there. She exhaled. They continued walking until they found the place they needed, the library. They entered into the quiet building. A few people were in the room, one sitting at a table with several books scattered around him and two walking through the isles. Neo looked over the books. She expected her heart to leap as it always did when she saw new books. And these were human books. So many stories that she hadn't read at all. But her heart didn't respond.

"Can I help you with something?" a soft voice asked.

Neo turned to the voice. It was an elderly woman with glasses.

"We're looking for newspapers," Kailen said. "Do you have any where?"  
"Of course," she said pointing to the back corner of the room. "They're back there."

"Thank you." Kailen pulled Neo along to the back corner. They started pulling the newspapers off the racks, going over them one by one starting with the newest one. They went back a couple of months before stopping. "Nothing. Looks like Shanks hasn't really been up to anything lately. Or at least nothing that will help us find him. This one article mentions him and Whitebeard but that's it. Nothing on where he might have headed."

"I hope they're okay," Neo said.

"Of course they are." Kailen stacked the newspapers back on the shelves. "He wouldn't be an Emperor if he didn't know how to handle himself."

Neo sighed. "So what now?"

"I guess we set out to sea again," Kailen said. "There should be plenty of sea creatures nearby."

"Okay," Neo said.

"If you want we can rest a little while longer," Kailen said.

"No." Neo shook her head. "You said we needed to keep moving."

"Right." They left the small building and headed back through the forest where Kailen had climbed up on the island. There they waited until they could sense a creature that could help them. This time it was a large sea serpent but not big enough to be a sea king.

"Hello, my friend." Neo took the massive creature's head into her hands. His scales were wet and rough. "We need your help. We're looking for our godfather. His name is Shanks. He's a pirate. Have you heard of him before? No? That's okay. I understand. Would you be so kind as to take us to another island? We need to keep searching for him or a young man named Luffy."

The serpent nodded. Lowering his head to the island so they could climb upon him.

"Kai, what do we do if we're spotted?" Neo said.

"The serpent should easily be able to out swim any ship," Kailen said.

"What about the navy?" Neo asked. "What do we do if we're spotted by them?"

"They shouldn't do anything to us unless we provoke them," Kailen said.

She looked at him. "We're two people riding on a sea serpent. How are humans not going to find that strange?"

"Uh, well…" Kailen looked around. "I don't know. You're really sweet so maybe we can say you tamed him."

"You want me to lie?" Neo blinked.

"I know it's not like you to lie, but we might not have a choice," Kailen said. "It's not like we can tell everyone we meet the truth about us."

"Then what do we tell them?" Neo asked.

"I haven't been able to figure that out yet," Kailen said. "We have to be really careful what we reveal to people, especially about where we're from and how we're connected to Shanks."

"I really miss him," Neo said.

"I know you do," Kailen said. "We'll find him."

"We'd find him faster if I could fly us," Neo said, summoning her wings. She flicked them before banishing them. "I can't carry you with these."

"It's fine, Neo," Kailen said. "You can't fly us the entire time anyway."

"No," Neo said. "But it would have been faster."

"Try not to think about it," Kailen said. "Your crystals will come back."

"And if they don't?"

Kailen didn't answer. He didn't have one.

Hours passed with no sigh of any ships or any islands. Feeling the sea serpent growing tired they had to switch to another large serpent. More hours passed before they had to stop for the night. Finding only a small rock formation to stay on for the night, Kailen used his earth crystals to make them a bed out of leaves and cotton before they settled in for the night.

…

"Hey! Are you two okay?!"

Neo jerked up the sound of a stranger's voice. Heart pounding, she turned to find a couple navy soldiers in a small boat a few feet from them. The one closest to them held concern in his green eyes. She grabbed her brother's arm. "Uh…Kailen?"

"What's going on?" Kailen sat up.

"We saw you two over here," the soldier said. "Are you two all right? Were you in a storm? Or did pirates strand you out here?"

"We-" Neo was cut off by Kailen's hand over her mouth.

"We lost our ship to a sea king," Kailen said. "We're heading to the next island."

Neo's heart pounded harder. They had no idea where the next island really was. Surely the navy would notice that.

"Oh, you're heading to Brazen Island?" the soldier asked.

"That's right," Kailen said. "My sister and I were going to see our godfather. He lives there."

"I see," he said. "Well, come on aboard. There's a big storm coming. You're not going to be safe out here."

Neo looked at Kailen. When he nodded to her she took the soldier's hand and allowed him to help her into the boat.

"How long have you two been out here?" another soldier asked.

"Not very long," Kailen said.

Neo sat down on the bench. Kailen sat beside her.

"Do you need any medical attention?" green eyes asked.

"No, we're fine," Kailen said. "We got really lucky."

"That's good to hear. By the way, my name's Captain Armin," green eyes said.

"I'm Kailen. This is my sister Neo," Kailen said.

"You're kind of young to be sailing aren't you?" Armin looked at Neo.

"I'm nineteen, almost twenty," Neo said.

"Really?" Armin's eyes widened as his cheeks flushed. "Forgive me, Miss. You just look so young."

"I get that a lot," Neo said.

"Well, you're in safe hands now," Armin said. "We'll get you to your grandfather's home before you know it."

"How much farther is Brazen Island from here?" Kailen asked. "I think our ship was pushed off course a bit."

"A couple of days," Armin said.

"We don't want to put you out," Neo said.

"Don't worry about it. We're here to serve the people," Armin said with a friendly smile.

 _And bring down pirates,_ Neo thought to herself. Despite that she could tell that Armin was a good guy. He wouldn't hurt them unless they attacked them. And they didn't have plans to do that. She turned her attention over to the large navy ship. She swallowed. It was larger than Shanks ship and made of painted steel instead of wood. Several more navy soldiers were standing near the edge, looking down at them.

They pulled right up along side the ship. Two of the soldiers placed hooks on the ends of the small boat. One then said, "Okay! Haul us up!"

The boat rose, water falling off its bottom and back into the sea.

It only took a minute or two to reach the deck. Armin and his soldiers crawled out first. Reaching up to Neo, Armin said. "Let me help you."

"Oh." Neo placed her hand in his. They were a bit rough with callouses. He was a swordsman. Shanks had the exact same callouses on his hands. She stepped down onto the deck. "Thank you."

Armin smiled.

"Captain, who are these people?" a soldier asked.

"They were stranded. A sea king sunk their ship," Armin said. "We're going to take them to the next island. So make sure they are comfortable here."

"Yes, sir." The soldiers saluted.

"Now, if you would come with me," Armin said heading for a door. "I'll show you to your rooms."

"If it's all right, we would really like to share a room," Kailen said. "My sister can get a bit scared at night. She has nightmares sometimes."

Neo frowned at Kailen. She had never been scared of the dark. He could have come up with a better excuse than one that made her sound like a frightened child.

"Of course." Armin nodded.

They stepped through the door and into a long hallway. Neo scanned her eyes around the bare walls. It was too empty. Paintings and plants would make this place homier. But it wasn't her ship so she didn't bring it up.

"Down here," Armin said.

Neo looked to find they had reached the end of the hall. A set of stairs was going down. She followed him and Kailen into another long hallway with several doors.

"This is it," Armin said. He opened a door and stepped inside. "I think this will do for a few days. You even have a private bath here. So you won't have to use the soldiers."

The room held two bunk beds on the walls just inside of the door. A large closet was on the back wall. Neo walked in farther. She found another door that she assumed lead to the bathroom.

"Great," Kailen said. "I wouldn't want to have to rough anyone up for trying to peak at my sister."

"I assure you no one will do that," Armin said. "I will punish them if it happens. You're free to roam about the ship. And dinner will be served at six. I'll escort you to the mess when the time comes."

"Thanks," Kailen said.

"Don't hesitate to ask if you need anyone," Armin said before leaving.

"I can't believe we're on a navy ship," Neo whispered. "I hope we don't mess up and mention Shanks is our godfather."

"Well, we might get some information on Shanks while we're here," Kailen said. "If anyone will know what he's up to it'll be the navy."

"The navy isn't smart enough to keep an eye on Godfather all of the time." Neo sat down on a bed. "They fear him."

"So they do," Kailen said.

Neo laid down, curling into a ball. Closing her eyes, she tried to force out the memories of home. But it was useless. The pain kept coming back. The sight of her parents being murdered wouldn't leave. She screamed then cried herself to sleep.

…

Kailen's heart shattered when his sister screamed then cried herself to sleep. He chose to stay up and watched her sleep for a while. He wanted to help her. He was her big brother. He was supposed to keep pain away from her like this. Running his hands through his hair he thought about how he failed and how the only thing he could do now was wait. Only time would heal her pain. She would come back to her normal self. She would.

Eventually, he got tired and decided to get some sleep while he had the chance. They would be safer here than out in the world. Shifting Neo closer to the wall, he laid down beside her and closed his eyes. He reopened them momentarily when she shifted closer to him. With a stroke to her hair, he closed his eyes again and let sleep wash over him.

He had no idea how long they slept but a knock on the door prompted him to get out of bed. He opened the door to find Armin there. "Yes?"  
"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Armin asked.

"It's fine," Kailen said.

"Well, food's ready. Would you like to sleep some more?" Armin asked.

"No, we're good," Kailen said. "Hey, Neo, you wake?"  
"Yeah." Neo yawned. "I'm up. What's going on?"

"Dinner time," Kailen said.

"Not hungry." Neo rolled her back towards them.

"Neo." Kailen walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder. "You need to eat something. Get up now."

Sighing, Neo pulled herself off the bed.

Instant guilt filled Kailen's chest when he saw her grey eyes. But he knew she needed to eat while they had this chance. He took her hand. "Come on."

Neo nodded.

Kailen lead her out of the room. Following Armin they were lead up one level and into the mess hall. They got into the chow line before sitting down with the soldier. The crew was busy chatting about different topics they barely noticed the two elementals were there. Kailen ate and kept a close eye on Neo. She was busy picking at her food to even notice he was watching her. In fact she didn't react to anyone or anything until the soldiers started to talk about pirates. He took this opportunity to see if anyone knew anything about Shanks. "So has there been any news on the Red Hair Pirates?"

"Naw," a soldier said. "They've been rather quiet for a while."

"Of course they have," another soldier said. "They're scared of facing us. They're probably cowering on some island some where."

Kailen glimpsed at Neo. Her knuckles were white from gripping her fork. Bring up the pirate crew was a mistake.

"I can't wait until they are brought down," a third soldier said.

"Shut up," Neo whispered. They didn't. They just continued to talk bad about her godfather. Saying how bad pirates were, how they all deserved to die in the most painful ways possible, and how their offspring deserved the same fate.

"Neo, calm down," Kailen said. For one split second he was glad she didn't have a connection to her crystals. She would have called up a storm. "Neo-"

Neo slammed her hands down on the table, cutting off the soldiers.

"Is something wrong?" Armin asked.

Neo jumped from her chair and ran from the room.

"What's her problem?" a soldier asked.

"Forgive her. She's usually not like this," Kailen said standing. "We're going through a bit of a hard time right now. Please, excuse me." He left the room. Sensing where she was, he headed for the deck. He found her with her arms crossed over the railing. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. Walking over to her he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pressed his forehead to her temple. "It's all right. They're just doing their job."

"It's not their job to make fun of them or hate them," Neo said. "Godfather is strong. He's not weak. He's not hiding."

"I know," Kailen said. "Remember, deep down they fear him."

Neo sniffled.

"You calming down now?" Kailen asked.

Neo nodded.

"That's my girl," Kailen said.

"How long do we have to stay here? I don't want to hear them talking about Godfather and the crew like that again," Neo said.

"Only for a few days," Kailen said.

"I'm staying in the room then," Neo said.

"Okay," Kailen said. "I'll see if I can bring you your meals from now on."

"Not hungry," Neo said.

"I understand. I won't force you to eat right now, but you'll have to eat soon. I'm going to go back and finish my own meal," Kailen said. "You going to go back to the room?"  
"No," Neo said. "I'm going to stay out here for a while. I think the fresh air will do me some good."

"All right then." Kailen kissed her forehead then left her.

Neo sighed and stared out at the horizon. The sun was setting, turning the sky into an array of golden yellows, bright oranges, and reds. She had no idea how much time had really past but when she felt someone's eyes on her the moon had already risen. She turned to find Armin watching her. A frown pulled across her lips. "What? Do you always stand there and stare at people?"

"Forgive me," Armin said his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I don't mean to stare, but I can't help but notice that you seem very sad."

"Oh." Neo turned her eyes away from him.

"Want to talk about it?" Armin asked.

"No," Neo said. Her frowned deepened when he walked up beside her and crossed his arms over the railing, mimicking her own stance. "Is there something you want? I'd really like to be alone right now."

"It's hard losing your parents," Armin said.

Neo's heart leaped into her throat. How could he have possible known that? She wanted to look at him but feared her eyes would give away something that needed to be kept a secret.

"I can tell because I lost my parents before," Armin said.

Neo's heart fell back into place.

"Sorry," Armin said. "I was too forward."

"What happened to them?" Neo found herself asking. She turned her eyes to him.

"They were killed by pirates," Armin said.

Neo swallowed. Her heart raced again. She wondered if it was possible that the pirate could have been Shanks and his crew. Her breath hitched in her chest. She waited for him to tell her who it was.

"They were the Silver Wing pirates," Armin said.

Neo exhaled. It wasn't Shanks or his crew.

"I was seventeen years old," Armin said. "That crew had invaded our home island with plans of taking control of it. They wanted all the money on the island. And we were poor. We didn't have the money to pay for their protection. My dad tried to fight but he wasn't strong enough. They killed him. My mom was killed next."

"How did you get away?" Neo asked.

"I almost didn't. One of them stabbed me in the shoulder. I was able to run away at a moment when another citizen tried to fight back, but they caught up with me. They were on the verge of killing me when the navy showed up," Armin said. "The pain was a lot. I thought I would never get over their deaths. I was on a downward spiral. I got into so many fights, especially with people who loved pirates. I even almost killed a few. That was until I decided I wanted revenge on the pirates. So I joined the navy. Which turned out to be right decision."

"How so?" Neo asked when he paused.

"I became stronger. My desire for revenge left me," Armin said. "Don't get me wrong though. I'm still looking to take down those pirates who did that to my family and my home island, but I'm not being controlled by it anymore. I'm better focused."

Neo turned her attention back out to sea. Their parents were murdered. That was the only thing they had in common. His wasn't murdered from betrayal. And his entire home island wasn't out to kill him.

"If I may, how did your parents die?" Armin asked.

"They were murdered by someone I trusted," Neo said.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Armin said. "That's the worst of the worst."

Neo nodded despite never knowing anyone else's parents who were murdered. Luminous was always a peaceful place to live. It wasn't like the human world where murders happened often and wars were common placed. It was just home where they lived. Now it would never be the same ever again.

"Just keep moving forward," Armin said. "Pain only hurts for a minute. I can tell you're strong. You'll be fine. I'll see you later. I've got to get some rest. Good night."

"Easy for you to say," Neo mumbled to herself as his footsteps faded away from her ears. "You don't have an entire population trying to kill you." Her eyes locked onto the horizon. She wanted to see her godfather's ship coming towards her. And for a moment her mind created that image. He came towards her, all smiled and warm hugs for her as she flew over to his ship. But the image faded after a few short seconds. She didn't even get to hug him. He wasn't there. None of them were. They were somewhere else on the sea. She sighed. "Godfather…where are you?"


	8. Brazen Island

Brazen Island

Neo rolled onto her right side before rolling onto her back. With a sigh she placed her hands over her face, hiding from the small amount of sun coming through the porthole in the room.

"Can't sleep?" Kailen asked.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again," Neo said.

"At least we'll be able to get off this ship soon," Kailen said.

"You sensing the island?" Neo asked.

"Yes," Kailen said. "We'll be there shortly after breakfast. I want you to eat before we get off this ship."

"Not hungry," Neo said.

"Neo," Kailen said in his parental tone.

Neo snorted.

"Neo, I mean it," Kailen said.

"What are we going to do on the island?" Neo asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Hopefully we'll find someone quickly that's heading for Sabaody," Kailen said. "Either way we're going to need to get some clothes soon. We can't constantly wear these same outfits everyday. We'll stink too much before long."

Neo lowered her hands from her face. Staring up at the bunk above them she thought about yesterday. They managed to get the clothes they were wearing washed in the sink in the bathroom. But there was no way they could keep doing that. Getting a pair set of clothes or two would help them a lot.

"First things first," Kailen said. "We get to the island and see where people are heading. If we're lucky someone will be leaving immediately."

"First things first," Neo said. "We need to ditch the navy soldiers."

"We'll say our goodbyes to them and headed off into the town," Kailen said. "We might have to wait until they leave before asking around. We don't want that to get back to them that our godfather isn't really living on this island. They might find our actions suspicious."

"Whatever." Neo rolled towards the wall and curled into a ball, gripping her medallion. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to plan. All she wanted was to be with their godfather already, curled up against his side and breathing in his familiar scent.

"I'm going to go get us some breakfast," Kailen said. "I'll be right back."

The door opened and closed, leaving Neo with her thoughts of her parents. More tears fell from her eyes. Never again did she feel like she was going to be a whole person. Part of her had died with them. The minutes passed by agonizing slow, but soon the door opened again and Kailen walked in with their breakfast.

"Come on," Kailen said. "I'm not going to let you skip breakfast."

Sighing, Neo forced herself to sit up and took the plate and cup from him. Crossing her legs underneath her, she set her cup between her legs while she picked at her eggs. Everything on her plate was tasteless. Apparently her taste buds died with her parents too.

"Would you like a shower before we leave?" Kailen asked.

Neo nodded forcing herself to eat the last of her eggs and toast. She handed her dishes over to her brother before pealing herself off the bed. While he took the dishes back to the mess hall she took her shower. The water was hot but she barely felt it through the numbness. The only think she felt was the pain. Her tears mixed in with the water for several minutes before she finally forced herself to take her shower and get dressed again. Stepping back out in the room she found Kailen was sitting on the edge of the bed. They said nothing as he took his own shower. By the time he stepped out of the bathroom a knock came on the door.

Neo walked over and opened it. "Yes?"

"Just letting you know we're about to dock at Brazen Island," Armin said.

"Thank you," Neo said.

Armin tipped his hat and left.

Neo and Kailen left the room. Reaching the deck they watched as the island drew closer and closer. Finally, the large water vessel was docked in the Brazen Island port. The anchor was lowered and a couple soldiers lowered a gangplank. A few soldiers got of the ship first before the two elementals descended down to the island.

Neo shifted from foot to foot from the hot wood under her feet.

"Would you like me to escort you to your godfather's?" Armin said.

The siblings turned to the man. He was standing at the end of the gangplank with a smile on his face.

"No, thanks," Kailen said.

"You sure? Pirates often stop at this island," Armin said.

"We'll be fine," Kailen said.

"Very well then. I guess this is goodbye," Armin said looking right at Neo. "It might have been a short trip but I'm glad we got to meet."

"Thanks a lot for helping us," Kailen said holding out his hand to the man. "We really appreciate it."

"Not a problem." Armin shook Kailen's hand.

"Yeah. Thanks," Neo said.

"We're going to be docks here for a few days," Armin said. "If you feel like it stop by and say hi."

"We might do that," Kailen said.

Armin nodded and walked off to join his men.

"He thinks you're cute," Kailen said while he and Neo walked down the crowded dock. "He couldn't keep his eyes off you."

"He can think what he wants," Neo said.

"If things were different I think you might think he was cute too," Kailen said.

Neo scoffed. Stepping away from a man backing off a gangplank from another ship she said, "He's a marine. There's no way I'd ever get involved with one of them."

"Yeah that would be difficult considering who our godfather is," Kailen said.

"Anyway." Neo looked around the town. "What do we do now?"

"Let's head into the forest," Kailen said. "If the navy is staying like they said they were we're not going to be able to ask around much about heading to Sabaody."

The siblings walked farther into the town. Neo scanned her eyes over a store that had hand woven blankets on display. One of them depicted a storm and a lighthouse. Her attention was broken when a ball rolled in front of her feet, brushing against her toes. She paused just as a small herd of children ran to catch up to it. Stepping around the ball, she jogged to catch up to her brother. Two blocks into the town they turned and walked down an alley. A stray cat lifted his head up from his nap. After a yawn, he looked at the elementals before jumping off the crate to follow them.

"Looks like we already made a friend," Kailen said.

Neo only nodded.

Stepping into the forest the canopy of the trees immediately blocked the hot sun from their skin. Both elementals scanned their eyes around the forest while connection with it to find themselves a place to stay. Birds and squirrels rushed over to their visitors, excited about the newcomers to their home. A squirrel ran right up Neo's pant leg and perched on her shoulder. The cat purred and rubbed against her ankle. She picked the cat up and cradled it against her chest.

"There's a cave about thirty yard to the northwest of here," Kailen said. "That should be far enough away from the town to hide."

Neo followed her brother. She paused and looked up at the canopy of the trees. The forest was thick with leaves and branches that it completely blocked the sky. Some of the branches were big enough for them to sleep on. All she had to do was use her crystals to…her heart jolted. Her knees buckled under her. She dropped to the ground and hugged the purring cat to herself. She was completely helpless right now. There was nothing she could do for herself or her brother.

Kailen's warm arms wrapped around her. He rocked her. "It's okay. It's okay."

Neo cried. For five minutes she stayed were she was and cried. The cat increased its purring to help soothe her.

"You ready to continue?" Kailen asked.

Neo nodded. With his hand in hers, she stood. Moments later the cave they were going for came into view. Vines and leaves were fallen over half the cave mouth. They, or Kailen, could easily move them so their temporary resting place wouldn't be easily seen by humans passing by. Darkness engulfed them when they stepped into the cave.

"I'll see if I can get a lantern or something while in town," Kailen said.

"We have no money," Neo said. "You going to steal one?"

"No," Kailen said. "I might be able to find some matches or lighter for a fire."

"You going to steal them?" Neo asked.

Kailen ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. "I'll figure out something."

"Sorry," Neo said. His frustration was clear to her. "I know I'm not very fun to be around right now."

"It's all right." Kailen hugged her. "You going to come with me?"

"No. I really don't feel like being around people," Neo said. "I'm going to stay here."

"All right then. I'll come back here when I'm done," Kailen said.

Neo nodded. They separated. Kailen headed back into the town while she remanded in the cave with her animal friends. It didn't take long before animals started gathering around her. The cat curled up on her lap, its purring vibrated through her clothes. "Hello, everyone. My brother and I are elementals. So this is the first time you've seen one of my people. I guess that means no elemental has ever stopped on this island. No, I'm all right. Well, maybe I'm not. We just lost our parents recently and our home. My brother and I are looking for our godfather. He's a red haired pirate with three scars over his left eye and his left arm is gone. Have you seen him? No? Oh, that's okay."

Neo closed her eyes. Her body exhausted from everything. More tears leaked from her closed eyelids. Sleepiness began to over take her until she finally gave into it and closed her eyes.

Wetness pressed against her arm prompting her to wake up. She looked up to find a large brown bear curiously taking her in and asking why she as in his cave. She brushed her tears away. "I'm sorry. I guess I fell asleep. I'll be fine. I'm actually looking for a place that my brother and I can stay. If we can't get a ride to Sabaody we might have to stay here for a while. Really? You'll let us stay in your cave? That's very sweet of you."

The bear laid down beside her, making the other animals skittish.

Neo ran her fingers through his bristly fur. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but finally she could sense her brother coming back towards him. Turning her eyes out of the cave mouth, she waited for him. If it weren't for her ability to sense him she never would have known he was there. With his green hair and his dark color clothing, he blended in very well with the forest.

Kailen entered into the cave.

Only then did she noticed the pile of wood he was carrying on his back with the help of some vines. He knelt down, arranged the wood into a pile.

"Did you find anyone going to Sabaody?" Neo asked.

"No," Kailen said. "Most are afraid of that island because of all the pirates and bounty hunters who live there. No one's even going in that direction."

"Oh." Neo sunk into the bear's fur. "We can always have animals take us."

"True," Kailen said. "But there's no guarantee we'll always find a creature that will take us. Besides if a storm comes they will want to find shelter. That won't be good if we're on a sea creature. The sea doesn't always offer up shelter from storms."

"If I wasn't so useless right now we could just make our own boat and sail there ourselves," Neo said.

"Don't blame yourself," Kailen said. "We're going to be fine on our own. And in the mean time I found us a job."

Neo cocked an eyebrow. "So soon?"

"A restaurant is looking for some waiters," Kailen said. "It'll be enough to get some money to buy new clothes. Hopefully someone going to Sabaody will show up soon."

"Or we could just steal a ship. Godfather would," Neo said.

"We're not pirates," Kailen said. "And you would feel so guilty about it that you would turn right around and give the ship back with multiple apologies."

Neo sighed. He was right. She wouldn't be able to steal it. "I guess waiting on people and tables it is. Though I still don't feel like being around people."

"Maybe it'll help you," Kailen said.

"Maybe," Neo mumbled. "Did you get anything to light a fire?"

"Yeah." Kailen nodded. He pulled out a matchbox and lit one. "An old man had some matches. I managed to get him to give me a couple."

"Great," Neo said.

Kailen struck the match across the matchbox. The match flared to light. He grabbed a dry leaf off the cave floor and lit it on fire before placing it under the wood. The dry wood snapped and hissed before the fire roared to life. "Maybe you should do it next time? With your sweet smile you'll be able to charm anything out of anyone."

"I'm not that good," Neo said.

"Yes, you are," Kailen said. "You're gifted in cuteness. Remember how Shanks taught you how to use that to your advantage? Remember how furious Mom was with him for doing that?"

Neo's lips twitched but didn't form into a smile. Shanks did teach her a few things their mother would rather not happen. And using her cuteness to her advantage was one of them. However, because of her royal stature, it didn't work on elementals since they already tried to spoil her. But she did manage to use it from time to time against their crew. One time she used that ability was to get Benn to stop smoking for an entire week when she was twelve.

 _"Uncle Benn!" Neo called as she ran up to one of her many uncles._

 _"What's up, kiddo?" Benn asked from the rock he was sitting on. The cigarette smoke mixed in with the salty air._

 _Neo flicked her wings. Flying up to him she planted herself in his lap. Her eyes became round when she looked up at him. "I don't like you smoking."_

 _Benn twitched. "Sorry?"_

 _"I want you to stop."_

 _"I can't do that." Benn smiled. "I'm a pirate."_

 _"But I'm your niece." Neo fluttered her eyelashes. "Please? I just want to know you can stop. Smoking's not good for your health." Tears gathered in her eyes. "Please, Uncle Benny? Please? Do it for me."_

 _"Benny?" Benn twitched again._

 _Neo snuggled up to him. "For me? Just for a week?"_

 _Benn sighed. Taking the cigarette from his mouth, he tossed it aside. "Fine. But only for one week."_

 _"Yeah!" Neo cheered._

 _Benn held to his word. For a week he didn't smoke a single thing. And it was one of the hardest weeks of his life as he became very irritated; he punched and kicked about all of his crew multiple times. Finally, the week came to an ended. The pirates were gathered around their elemental friends' home. Benn had a dozen cigarettes in his mouth._

 _"Honestly, I didn't think you'd be able to do it!" Shanks laughed. "Next time I'll have Neo make you do it for a whole month!"_

 _"You did what?!" Benn shouted._

 _"Godfather," Neo said. "I thought that was suppose to be a secret."_

 _"Oops." Shanks covered his mouth, his eyes widened at his mistake._

 _"Captain!" Benn screamed before lunging at the red haired man._

 _Laughing, Shanks dodged his subordinate and took off running._

 _"Get back here!" Benn chased after him._

And another was on Lucky Roo to get him to share his meat with her for the first time ever. She was seven years old at the time.

 _"You really like eating meat, don't you?" Neo, hanging over the railing of the ship, kicked her feet as she watched a few dolphins swim around below them. It was a calm day. She managed to talk the crew into taking her for a ship ride around the island._

 _"I sure do," Lucky Roo said before ripping off another bite with his teeth._

 _"May I have a bite?" Neo asked._

 _"Uh." Lucky Roo paused. He wasn't one who shared his meals with anyone._

 _"Please?" Neo fluttered her eyelashes at him. "I'm small. I won't eat much anyway." She smiled. "You do love me, right?"_

 _Lucky Roo twitched before giving in. He handed his meat over to her. "Fine."_

 _"Yeah! Thank you, Uncle Roo!" Neo took the meat and bit into it._

Of course the crew scolded their captain yet they never really did anything to try and stop it. It was possible she could use that to their advantage out here despite the fact she wasn't in a habit of using that ability.

…

Neo shot up with a scream, startling both her brother and the animals that were with them. Her body and mind ached from the nightmare. Her breathes came in short, shallow gasps.

"Neo?" Kailen was beside her in a second.

"That nightmare again," Neo said placing a hand over her face.

"That's what I thought," Kailen said. "I wish there was something I could give you so you could rest peacefully."

Neo exhaled. "I don't feel like I'll ever sleep well again. What time is it?"

"About five thirty," Kailen said.

"No point in going back to sleep then," Neo said.

"You sure?" Kailen said. "We still have a little time before we have to go into work."

"I'm sure," Neo said.

"Feel like eating?" Kailen asked.

"No."

"You're doing it anyway." Kailen summoned his crystals and created them a small buffet of fruits and vegetables.

Her taste buds were still dead. Her stomach lurched at the thought of food. But she ate just enough to satisfy Kailen before they headed into the town. "I hope I don't stink."

"You smell fine," Kailen said.

"If you say so," Neo said. The town was silent in the cool morning air when they reached it. Most people were still home not ready yet for the day ahead. Only a few people were out getting their shops ready for the day. She didn't look at anyone as she followed her brother through the dirt streets. He led her to a simple building with light green curtains over the windows. A bell jingled as they opened the door. Her heart seized up. Spices in the air hammered her nose hard. She stumbled backwards, tears poured down her cheeks. The smells brought back all the memories of cooking with their dad.

"Neo?" Kailen looked at her.

Neo waved at him and took a deep breath. A few more deep breathes and her tears subsided. "It's the smells. Dad…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Neo," Kailen said. "I should have known. You don't have to stay here."

"No." Neo shook her head. "I'm staying. I won't let you take on this burden yourself." She gave him a stern look when he opened his mouth. "I mean it, Kailen. Besides sitting around doing nothing will only make me think of them more."

Kailen nodded.

"Someone there?" a man called out. The siblings turned to the door at the back of the room just before a broad shoulder man came walking through it. "Oh, Kailen, it's you."

"Did we startle you?" Kailen asked.

"Not really. I thought you were costumers," the man said. He eyed Neo. "Is this your sister?"

"Oh, sorry, sir. Gaven, this is Neo. Neo this is Gaven," Kailen said.

"Hello, sir. It's nice to meet you," Neo said. "Thank you for giving us these jobs. We'll do our best."

"Well, you're such a polite little girl," Gaven said.

"Thank you," Neo said. "But I'm almost twenty years old."

"Really?" Gaven looked her up and down. "I never would have guessed." His eyes paused on her bare feet. "You really need to wear shoes."

"Sorry. I lost them when we lost our ship," Neo said. "As soon as we get money I'll by a new pair."

"I see. I guess that'll be fine for now. I can always give you an advance. Don't want you to get injured. Well, come on back. I'll get you two set up and show you around." Gaven headed for the door he came through.

"Of course," Kailen said.

Neo scanned her eyes around the room again. It was such a charming little restaurant with a minimalistic décor of items related to the sea and round tables. She rushed to the back door as Kailen stepped through it. The kitchen had three stoves along the walls, lots of counter space, a large fridge, an island that was already crowded with ready to bake sweet buns, and more than enough pots and pans for cooking. Three other cooks were already at the stoves.

"Aprons are right there." Gaven pointed to the wall to Neo's left. Several dark red aprons were hanging on pegs. "There are pockets in the front for the notebooks and pencils that are stored in the drawer beside them. When you open the notebooks you'll find a layout of the dinning room. Kailen, you'll be taking care of section two. Neo, you'll be taking care of section four. You're also allowed to keep the tips that you get no matter what the amount it. Payday is at the end of every week. Costumers can get a bit unruly, especially if they're pirates. But I'll keep a close eye on you two. I don't like anyone messing with my staff."

"You don't have to worry about us, sir," Kailen said. "We've had plenty of experience with pirates."

"Good to hear. I'll still be keeping a close eye on you two, especially with someone as cute as you sister around," Gaven said. "I know men will pay her plenty of unwanted attention."

"I'll be fine," Neo said. Pulling an apron off a peg she wrapped and tied it around her waist. She then opened the drawer beside the aprons and grabbed a pencil and a small notebook.

"Any questions about how to do your jobs?" Gaven asked.

"No, we'll be fine. Our parents owned a restaurant," Kailen said.

"Well, glad to know I have some experts on my staff," Gaven said.

"Remember we're only doing this for a while," Kailen said. "We'll have to leave at some point."

"I completely understand," Gaven said walking away. "So get ready. We open up in thirty five minutes."

"Yes, sir," Kailen said.

Neo sighed.

"You ready?" Kailen asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Neo said. "I hope I can do this. I've never really served anyone like this before. And I've always used my crystals when cooking with Dad."

"It's easy," Kailen said.

"Maybe for you," Neo said. "You've helped out before at the restaurant."

"Just ask if you're unsure about something," Kailen said.

Neo nodded. She opened the notebook and took in the diagram that had been scribbled inside of it. Her section was in the corner near the kitchen and consisted of six tables. That should be easy enough.

"I forgot to tell ya," Gaven said walking back over to them. "You're permitted twenty minutes for lunch. And you can take that whenever you feel like. Just have one of the other waitresses or waiters take over your tables. You're also allowed to eat food from the restaurant without paying as long as you don't over eat."

"We understand," Kailen said.

Gaven nodded and walked away again.

Neo and Kailen stayed close, watching the dinning room until people started coming into the building. Kailen was the first to go out and take care of his tables, leaving Neo to watch him. Finally more people came inside and she stepped out into the room. She walked over to one of her tables. Two women were sitting there with their menus already up. "Good morning. What may I get you to drink this morning?"

"Coffee," one woman said without looking up from her menu.

"I'll have some orange juice." The other woman smiled.

"I will be right back with those." Neo walked back to the kitchen. Having seen Kailen do so she grab a glass and a mug then filled them with the right beverages before walking them back out to the table. She sat them down. "Would you like a few more minutes or do you know what you would like?"

"I'll have the short stack," the first woman said.

"And I would like the sunny side up eggs with buttered toast and two bacon strips," the other one said.

Neo wrote those down. "I'll put these orders right in."

"Not back," Kailen said when Neo returned to the kitchen. "Just be on your guard when the lunch rush comes in."

Neo nodded.

Once the order was ready, Neo picked up the two plates and walked them back out to the two women. She then got them refills for their drinks and headed to another table as more people came in. Back and forth she walked from the dinning room to the kitchen, delivering drinks and meals. When it came time for her to eat, she refused and continued on with her duties as a waitress. Luckily, the day was an easy one and they got through it without any accidents or conflict with the customers.

"Well, you two did wonderful for your first day here. And here's an advance on your payday. Please get some shoes," Gaven said handing over some money. "See you two tomorrow."

"Have a good night," Kailen said.

Neo didn't respond. She headed for the exit. Side by side they walked through the quiet town. They only stopped at one store where she could get her a pair of shoes. She settled on a simple pair of black sandals. Most of the people had already gone home for the night but the time they stepped back outside. She looked up at the sky. Dark clouds spotted the night sky and half covered the crescent moon. "It's going to rain soon."

"Yeah. We'll be back to the cave before that happens." Kailen stretched out his body. "I say all in all it's been a good day."

Neo shrugged. Stepping out of the town the two entered into the forest. With very little moonlight the forest was darker than the town. They relied on their sense to guide them through the forest and into the cave where their bear friend was waiting for them. She went right over to the bear and cuddled into his fur. Through the darkness she watched Kailen start them a fire. The wood caught, the fire crackled to life. Light washed over their small temporary dwelling place.

"So what's your opinion on the humans here?" Kailen asked.

"They're all right, I guess," Neo said. "It was a bit odd and yet refreshing that not a single person call me _Princess_ today."

"Despite wanting your freedom from your royal duties, you're still custom to being called Princess," Kailen said. Summoning an earth crystal he formed an apple and tossed it over to her.

Neo grabbed it out of reflex.

"Eat it," Kailen said.

With no strength to argue with him, Neo suck her teeth into the red skin. The juice flowed over her teeth and taste buds yet she didn't taste anything. "I feel so dead inside."

"I know," Kailen said barely over the crackling fire. "Eat that then get some sleep."

Neo took another bite of her apple. And hour later she finally finished the fruit. After tossing the core out the front of the cave, she snuggled into the warmth of the bear's fur. She stared into the flames for several minutes before sleep finally claimed her. She fell asleep.

Kailen watched her and prayed she didn't have any nightmares tonight. She needed a good night's sleep. If she didn't she wouldn't be able to focus at their work. Which reminded him, he needed to find time tomorrow to see if anyone at the docks was heading to Sabaody or at least heading in that direction. Placing a couple more sticks on the fire, he laid down on his bed of leaves and closed his eyes.

…

Agile, graceful, with slice moves of a jungle cat, Law swiped his nodachi through the air. The sea breeze was cool on his shirtless skin. The sounds of his crew's celebration of their recent victory floated out of the open door. Today they had taken down another pirate crew and managed to get a hundred million berries added to their growing finances. Normally, he would be down there with him celebrating. But he wasn't. He didn't even have his usual one bottle of sake. Instead he remained out on the deck lost in his jumbled thoughts. Something was bothering him but he couldn't figure out what it was. He followed through with a few more swings of his sword before Bepo made his presence known.

"Captain," Bepo said.

Law swung his sword once more before facing his navigator. "What is it?"

"Sorry for bothering you, but are you all right?" Bepo asked.

Law started at the bear. The only mink they had on the crew. "I'm fine. Why?"

"I'm not sure," Bepo said. "You just seem distracted ever since we won that battle. Aren't you happy we took down another pirate crew?"

"Of course I am," Law said. "I'm just a bit restless. I guess."

"Have you received some news about Doflamingo?" Bepo asked.

"No, it had nothing to do with him," Law said. "I'm not really sure why I feel like this. I guess I'm just getting antsy about reaching the New World."

"Speaking of which we'll need to stop and stock up on supplies before too long," Bepo said. "We have about enough to last three to four weeks depending on how we ration it."

"What's the next island?" Law asked.

"It's called Brazen Island," Bepo said. "It has plenty of stores to stock up on supplies."

"How long will it take us to get there?" Law asked.

"About two weeks," Bepo said.

"Good. Then keep us on course," Law said.

A moment of silence passed between them before Bepo said, "Are you sure you're fine, Captain?"

"Yes, Bepo," Law said. "I'm fine probably just tense from spending so much time on the sub. We'll take a few days rest at Brazen Island."

"That's probably a good idea," Bepo said. "Would you like me to inform the crew?"

"Yes, that will be fine," Law said. He watched as the bear walked back into the sub and disappeared. Turning back to the horizon he lifted his sword up ready to get back to his training. But he couldn't. His eyes locked out onto the setting sun. Something was definitely going to happen.

…

Neo was pouring some hot tea into a mug when Kailen walked over to her. She looked up at him as he said, "I'm going to use my lunch break to see if I can find anyone who's heading towards Sabaody. Will you be all right for a while without me?"  
"Yes, Kailen, I'll be fine," Neo snapped. "I'm not a child."

"Of course you're not," Kailen said.

"Sorry. I snapped at you again," Neo said.

"It's fine. I won't be gone long," Kailen said before heading out the kitchen door.

Neo watched him go before picking the mug up. She went back out into the dinning room where an elderly man was waiting for his refill. "Here you go, sir. Is there anything else you'd like?"  
"No. Thank you, young lady," the old man said. His smiled producing more wrinkles on his skin. "Unless you'll do me the honor of going on a date with me."

"That's sweet of you," Neo said. "But I must decline."

"Oh rats." The man's smile brightened. "You must already be taken."

Neo just stood there. She had no idea what to say or if she should say anything. Bringing up the fact she was single could open up a conversation as to why. It was something they were trying to avoid.

The bell jingled, singling more people had come into the building.

Neo looked up to find a group of five pirates had sat down in her section. She excused herself from the old man and walked over to the new guests. Unwashed body odor and booze wafted up to her nose. A smell she was use to on her godfather but turned her stomach when she smelled it on other men. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. What can I get for you to drink?"

"Whiskey," the obvious captain said.

"Sure." Neo turned and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing multiple whiskey bottles from the fridge, she placed them on a tray and headed back towards the dinning room.

"Careful with them, Neo," Gaven said. "They're the Silver Mist pirates. They're collective bounty is over a hundred million."

"I'll be fine. Pirates visited our home island all the time." Neo headed for the door.

"Don't you find it funny she always says _home island_?" a cook asked.

"What's wrong with that?" another one asked.

"I just find it odd that Neo and Kailen have been working here for almost a week and they haven't mentioned the name of their home island once."

"Maybe they had a bad experience there and they want to forget it?"

"Possible. They are trying to leave this island."

"Then get back to work."

Neo exited the kitchen. The rest of the works in this place were obviously very friendly together. And under normal circumstances, she and her brother would have been just as friendly. But they couldn't be. It was dangerous just being on this island. Any day now the elementals could find them here. They had to leave. Soon.

"Here you go." Neo placed the whiskey bottles on the table. "Have you all decided what you'd like today?"

"You," the captain said.

Neo forced herself not to roll her eyes. "Sorry but I'm not on the menu."

"Well, we'll see. This is after all our first meeting." The captain's smile revealed a missing tooth.

Neo would have assumed it was lost in a fight but with how dirty his teeth were she knew that wasn't possible. A couple others looked to be on the verge of falling out. This man clearly had never seen a dentist. She even questioned if the man ever visited a shower before with all the dirt on his skin.

"We'll all just take the special," the captain said.

"Very well." Neo wrote it down then walked the order back to the kitchen.

"We're getting complaints about the smell the pirates brought in," another server said.

"Neo, would you open the windows?" Gaven asked.

"Sure." Neo left the kitchen again. One by one she pushed open six of the windows, letting a warm, salty breeze into the room. She breathed it in as a blue bird landed on the windowsill. "Sorry. I can't play with you right now. I'm working."

"Animals sure seem to love you," Gaven said.

Neo jumped. The bird flew off as she whipped around to face the man.

"They always seem to be near you ever since you started working here," Gaven said.

Neo shrugged. "I'm just like that. I guess. Did you need something?"

"Order's up for table seven," Gaven said.

"Shoot. I'm sorry." Neo rushed back to the kitchen. She picked up the order and rushed it back out to the table. "I'm so sorry for your wait."

"More whiskey!" a pirate shouted out.

Neo glanced over at them, unsure if they had actually drunk it all or just wanted her to come over again. Still, she got them more and placed it on the table.

"You know you are very pretty," the captain said.

"Thanks," Neo said.

"The name's Captain Jeb," the man said. "It's a real pleasure setting eyes on such a lovely young woman."

"I'm sure that's not all you want to set on her, Cap'n," a pirate said. The rest of the crew chuckled, their eyes mirroring the lustful desires hidden behind their thick skulls.

Neo rolled her eyes. "Touch me and you'll regret it."

"Oh? How so?" Jeb asked.

Neo opened her mouth to tell them of her godfather but quickly clamped shut when the bell to the door opened. Kailen had returned. Forgetting the pirates, she rushed over to him. "Well?"

"No luck." Kailen shook his head. "We're still stuck here."

"Great." Neo frowned.

"Don't worry," Kailen said leading her back to the kitchen. "We'll find someone."

Neo nodded.

"More whiskey!" Jeb called out.

Neo sighed.

"How long have they been here?" Kailen looked over his shoulder at the pirates.

"Just a minute or two and they're already annoying," Neo said.

"I'll take over," Kailen said.

"Don't be stupid," Neo said. "I might not be my normal self but I can handle a couple filthy pirates."

"I know you can. But you need your lunch break anyway," Kailen said. "I'll take over until they're gone." He gave her a stern look. "And no arguing."

"Fine." Turning away from her brother, Neo headed for the back door. Stepping out in the hot sun, she sat down on a crate. A couple birds flew out, one being the blue bird she saw before. With a sigh she stroked her finger over the bird's smooth feathers. Waiting for her lunch break to be over, she stared up at the blue sky. A few lazy clouds were roaming through the area. It would have been a perfect day for sailing or going for a flight. And she could do neither.


	9. Trouble Wears Yellow

Trouble Wears Yellow

Head pounding from his night of restless sleep, Law cupped his hands under the water before splashing it upon his face. The cool water ran down his hot skin, cooling it but doing nothing for his still throbbing head. Sighing he shut off the water, dried his face, and left his bathroom. Grabbing his sword from the foot of his bed he left his room and headed upstairs to the medical bay. The sub was quiet leading him to believe his crew was either on the lower levels or out on the deck already. They were to be arriving at Brazen Island before lunch. And they were all ready to get off the sub for a while.

Reaching the main floor some of his crew's voices came in through the open door. He didn't pause to listen in on what they were saying. He continued on up the stairs to the medical bay. Turning into the first exam room, he went right to the medical cabinet. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle and popped the top off. Pouring four white pills into the palm of his hand, he placed the bottle back where it belonged before closing the cabinet. He filled himself a glass of water before downing the pills. Done in the medical bay he headed back downstairs and out onto the deck. He leaned against the sub wall while watching the horizon for the island to come into view.

Twenty minutes later the dark mass of the island finally reached them. He watched it come into focus the closer they got. The darkness faded away to white buildings, green leaves, and brown wood from ships. The sub pulled into the harbor. The anchor dropped, the crew cheered.

"Finally!" Shachi said stretching his arms out as far as they would go. "I can wait for some rest and recreation."

"You're going to get rest while sleeping with all the women here?" Conner said.

"Well, I'm not a machine." Shachi smirked. "We all have to rest sometime. Besides you've slept with more women than I have."

"I have not," Conner said.

"Must you two always argue over who's slept with the most women?"

Shachi and Conner looked back at another crewmate.

"Well, that was a fast trip. Did you just pull the sub into the harbor, Archer?" Conner asked.

"I'm an expert on piloting the sub, unlike you buffoons," Archer said. "Docking takes me no time at all."

"What did you call us?!" Shachi and Conner demanded.

Law tuned out his crew's voices. His eyes remained locked onto the island before them. He could tell, somehow, that something was going to happen here. There was an unexplainable tension around his body. He knew it was more than just restlessness.

"You're really quiet today, Captain," Penguin said, filtering into the captain's ears. "Anything wrong?"

"No, nothing," Law said. "Just ready to spend some time on land."

"How long are we going to stay here?" Penguin asked.

"Three or four days," Law said. "Unless something else comes up to change that. Let's get going. We need to get rooms."

"Right!" the crew cheered before they started their descent down the ladder.

Law, however, remained in place. His eyes wouldn't leave the island. It took a sharp call of a seagull to snap him out of his trance. Walking over to the ladder he found that one of his crew had remained on the deck. Bepo was staring into the town like he had been a few seconds ago. "Bepo?"

The bear didn't answer. Law climbed down to his navigator. Bepo's black nose was twitching, sniffing the air, while his black eyes held confusion.

"Bepo, what is it?" Law asked.

"I'm not sure," Bepo said. "Nature moved."

"What?" Law asked.

"I know it sounds weird, but I feel like nature is moving inside of the town," Bepo said.

"I think you need this break more than I do," Law said.

"Maybe you're right," Bepo said.

"Let's go." Law led the way across the dock. Soon the wooden dock gave way to the dirt path leading into the town. He scanned his eyes over the people and buildings. Nothing looked out of the normal but something still felt off about this place. Peaking at his navigator, he saw that Bepo was still sniffing the air and looking around curiously.

"Captain!" Shachi called. "This place has plenty of open rooms!"

Law looked up to see his crew had gathered outside of a hotel. They waited for him before entering into the building. He walked over to the check in counter, instantly getting a flirtatious giggle from the young woman behind it.

"How many nights, sir?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Four." Law scribbled his name down in the book before grabbing the keys off the counter, ignoring her flirtation looks.

"Do let me know if you need _anything_ ," the young woman said.

Law turned his back to her. It was far too easy for him to know what she really wanted. But he wasn't interested in pointless one nightstands. Sleeping with women always brought too much trouble to a man. He had seen it many times in his crew. Several women would grow attached to the one they slept with and some caused a big scene when it was time for them to leave the island. Some even claimed they had gotten pregnant. But Law knew they were lying. It took more than a day or two for a sperm to fertilize a woman's egg.

Over all it was a waste of time. Plus, children of pirates were always left with the burden of their parents' choices. Something he wasn't interested in putting on a child. Pushing the thoughts aside, he handed out the keys to his crew before entering into his room. A normal hotel room laid out before him. Giving it a quick look over he turned and left the hotel. He knew his crew wouldn't waste their sub free time. And he wasn't going to waste it either. He was going to do one of his favorite things, roaming. This island was big enough he would get plenty of time and space to himself for a while. And there was plenty of time to roam over the island before the sun set. Angling for the edge of the town, Law walked towards the forest.

The walk was like any other. The hot sun was hidden behind the cooler canopy of the forest. The birds were singing. A couple of squirrels were romping around in search for nuts. Even a rabbit scurried out from underneath a bush in front of him. He enjoyed their presence yet also ignored them as he continued on his walk through the forest. Suddenly, he wasn't alone. His senses picked up on someone else walking in the forest with him. Scanning his eyes through the trees he saw nothing, until he rounded a tree. There he almost crashed into a blue blur. He caught his body, stumbling back two steps before stabilizing himself. It was a young girl, looking as startled as he felt. Her dull grey eyes stared back at him in shock, as if she never thought another person could be walking around in the forest. Parting his lips, he started to speak to her but nothing came out. His mouth clamped shut as he stared at her. Instantly he could tell something wasn't normal about her. There was this odd inhuman aura around her body. His hand gripped tighter on his sheath. Something shifted. Nature closed in around him. He was standing in the middle of the forest with a pack of wolves surrounding him, ready to attack and devour him. Then he was standing on a cliff. Dark clouds were rolling in. Lightning flashed as thunder boomed. The ground below him trembled. He was going to get swallowed up in nature.

"What?" she asked.

The danger faded. He blinked. Looking around he found himself still in the forest. He didn't go anywhere. And there were no animals surrounding him. He brought his eyes back to the girl and finally took full note of her appearance. She was only a child. A head shorter than him with unnatural sky blue hair that had a small wave in it and fell to her shoulder blades. Her skin was dark like she had spent many hours out in the sun. But her eyes, it was her eyes that brought more curiosity to him. They were lifeless and grey, frustrated and angry. She had clearly gone through something terrible. Light shone thought the leaves, bouncing off something and into his eyes. Looking down he found she was wearing a necklace made from silver. In the four corners were gems that he had never seen before. He barely caught a glimpse of the word before her hand grabbed it and tucked it in her shirt.

"Are you going to just stand there and stare?" she asked. "Are you lost or something?"  
"No," Law said coming back to his senses. "I'm not lost. Just out for a walk."

She narrowed her eyebrows at him. The corner of her lips twitching, wanting to pull down into a frown.

"What are you doing out here?" Law asked.

She frowned. "Walking."

A bird landed on her shoulder. It chirped, seemingly angry at something. He watched as her lips moved slightly as if she was answering the creature. His head tilted, taking a closer look at her lips. She _was_ talking to the creature. His eyebrow knitted.

"What? Never spoke to an animal before?" she asked.

"No. Well, not to one that couldn't talk back," Law said. "I have spoken to a mink as I have one on my crew."

"Talk back?" she asked. "All animals can talk."

"No, they can't," Law said.

"Yes," she said forcefully. "They _can_."

Movement from behind her drew his eyes. It was a bear. His eyebrows rose on his head. He gripped his sword harder knowing bears never came this close to people unless they were hand raised or a mink or protecting cubs or hungry. Confusion slammed into his mind when her hand automatically went to the bear's head as it stepped up beside her. "Friend of yours?"

"Yes," she said. Without another word the girl turned and ran away from him. The bear quickly followed.

"Well." Law rubbed his neck. "That was interesting."

He continued his walk for a few more hours. Returning to his crew, they spoke about what they had done that day while they ate at a local tavern. But he remained quiet about the girl and the bear. He was unsure exactly on what to tell them. It was possible that the girl hand raised that bear. People have done it before. Some pirates even had animals, carnivores, on their ships. Maybe she wasn't so abnormal as he thought. Still he couldn't get his mind off of her and the images that had gone through his head. He knew he wasn't imagining things, or not really. And he knew the girl didn't have illusionary powers. If she did she would have used them and never let anyone see her. So what had happened between them?

For the next two days, Law found himself looking for the mysterious blue haired girl he met in the forest when he went on walks. He never found her. Footprints were in random places all over the woods. But he never could find the right path that would lead him to her. It was like she did that on purpose to keep him from finding her. Nor did he ever tell his crew about her despite them noticing odd behavior in him.

Currently, he was walking through the town looking for the girl thinking maybe she lived in town instead of in the woods. He searched for hours until he found his stomach tell him it was past time to eat. Only then did he notice how silly he was being chasing after a girl that probably didn't even live around here.

Looking to his right he found he was standing in front of a restaurant. The familiar smell of grilled fish was coming from the building so he entered into it. Scanning his eyes around the room he found he had hit the lunch rush. The only empty table he could find was in the back corner. He walked over to it, sat down, and waited for the waitress to come over.

"Be with you in a moment," a strikingly familiar voice said.

Law's eyes went right to her as she rushed by him. A sweet smell filled his nostrils.

"Sorry for you wait." The girl pulled plates off the large tray she was balancing in her left hand off and placed them on the table. She then tucked the tray under her arm and walked over to him. Her eyes never met his until she had pulled a small notebook and pencil from her apron. A small amount of surprise rose in her grey eyes upon seeing him. She froze.

Nature surrounded him again. A cool breeze blew over a beach before he was back in the restaurant with her. Law waited for her to say something. When she didn't, he said, "You going to ask me what I want?"  
Shaking herself from her shock, she stepped up to him. "Sorry. What would you like to drink?"

"Sweet tea," Law said.

"Fine. I'll get that in and-"

"I already know what I want to eat," Law said.

She looked up from her notebook. A blink.

"I'll take the grilled fish and onigiri," Law said. His eyes dropped to her shirt. The outline inside of her shirt clearly told him she still had the necklace on. He brought his eyes back up to hers.

She nodded then wrote the order down and scurried off to the kitchen.

Through the door leading to the kitchen, he could see her. She handed the order over to a man- who he assumed was a cook -before another man with green hair appeared beside her. Law kneaded his eyebrows. Nature surrounded him again. Several vines and flowers grew up around him. Multiple scents of flowers over took the spices in the air.

Law blinked. The feeling disappeared. Focusing his eyes back on the two, he watched them as they spoke. Concern appeared on the green haired man's face before casting a glance over at him. The man was clearly older than she was but he still looked rather young to the pirate. The man then said something to the girl to which she shook her head in reply. The man frowned but nodded and walked away from her. The girl picked up his drink and brought it over to him. He asked, "Aren't you a little young to be working?"

"No." She frowned. "You're meal will be out shortly."

Before Law could say anything else, she walked away from him. He leaned back against his chair, waiting for her to return. Four times she came back out of the kitchen to wait on other tables before bringing his meal over to him. The rest of the time she served other guests, one in particular was a pirate who had a clear lustful interest in her. If she noticed the lust in the pirate's gaze she never showed it. But the green haired man was also close by when she went to that pirate's table, carefully watching her. The man's action made him wonder what his relationship was to the blue hair girl was. Was he her boyfriend? Her husband? Her brother? They didn't reveal which it was. There was only protectiveness between them.

"Let me know if you need anything else," she said.

"Thank you." Law watched her walk away before turning his attention to his meal. He ate slowly, his eyes lifting to her every time she came into the dinning room. She appeared to do the same. Or maybe she was just checking to see if he needed something. He wasn't sure. She did come over a couple times to refill his drink and ask him if he needed anything else. And each time that sweet smell appeared. She had to be wearing perfume, but he couldn't place what perfume smelled like sugar.

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can get you?" she asked.

"No," Law said. "Why?"

"Because you've been sitting there for hours," she said.

Law looked around. The lunch crowd was gone. No one else was in the room. Leaning back in his chair, he smirked at her. "Is there something wrong with a paying customer just sitting here? Is there a rule saying we have to leave once we've finished eating?"

"No," she said slowly.

Law lifted his glass. "Then I think I'll stay for a little while longer. How about some more tea?"

"Fine." She left for the pitcher. "Be right back."

"How long have you worked here?" Law found himself asking when she returned.

She paused and looked at him.

He couldn't help but notice she hesitated to answer that question.

"There anything else I can get for you?" she then asked.

"No," Law said. "I'm good."

She nodded before walking off.

Law sat there, drinking his tea and going over why he was still here and everything he knew about her. It was obvious he was curious about this girl. She spoke to animals as if they were normal everyday people. She believed they could talk back. She liked walking through forests apparently. Her eyes were abnormally grey with deep pain inside of them. But why exactly was she so different from anyone else? She was human like…an odd, unexplainable feel hammered into his chest and mind. Calling this blue haired girl human didn't seem right. It flat out didn't fit her.

With a frustrated growl of his unexpected obsession over this girl he knew he would never see again after they left this island, he finished his tea, placed some tip money on the table, and left the restaurant. Stepping out of the restaurant a subordinate called to him.

"Hey, Captain!" Conner called. "Where have you been?"

"Yeah," Shachi said. "We haven't seen you all day."

"I've been around," Law said.

"Well, we're just checking in," Shachi said. "The rest of the crew is scattered around the island. But we're all wondering if we're still leaving in two days."

"We are," Law said. "Be sure to remind the crew of that."

"We will," they said before running off.

Law watched them disappear into the crowd. His decision was made. They were leaving in two days. And she would never cross his mind nor would he see her again.

…

Four days past since Neo had accidently ran into that man in the forest. She hadn't seen him in the woods since then but he always popped up at the restaurant for one or two meals a day. And he always sat in her section. Just like he was doing now. His steel color eyes seemed to always be on her. He was watching her. He didn't even try to hide it. Part of her was flattered that he was a repeat customer, mean she got extra money from him, but the other part was cautious and concerned. He was a very intimidating man. He was a very dangerous man. There was a wild look in his eyes that she's had seen before in her godfather and his pirate crew. And it was obvious that he could tell she was different from the others on the island.

But she wasn't sure if he was a pirate or not. She wasn't sure if he _knew_ she was different. As told by her godfather, some humans could only sense elementals were different while some _knew_ they were but couldn't do anything to prove it. It all depended on how strong a person was.

It was possible this man was a pirate. Though she never bothered looking through bounty posters and she certainly never asked him. Their conversations revolved around the food and drinks he ordered, which always turned out to be grilled fish and onigiri with sweet tea. Clearly it was his favorite. And he also favored spots and tattoos. The spots were both on his jeans and on his hat. His tattoos were on his fingers, arms, hands, and probably other places underneath his cloths. She tried not to think about it.

"May I get you something else?" Neo asked him despite knowing he wasn't going to get anything else. Even his tea glass was still full.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'll let you know if I do."

Neo nodded. The bell rang. She turned to the door and frowned. It was Jeb once again. His advances towards her were really growing old. She had no idea how much longer he was going to stay around. Surely he would be leaving soon. No way he was going to hang up his hat on being a pirate just to bother her. Forcing herself to move, she walked over to the table. "The usual?"

Jeb hiccupped. The alcohol on him was strong. He had already been drinking before coming here. "Sure thing, baby." Another hiccup. "With a side of you."

Rolling her eyes, she headed to the kitchen and brought back his whiskey. She set the bottle on the table then turned to leave. His cold hand grabbed her wrist. She frowned.

"You're such a sweet little thing," Jeb said. "Why would you want to work in a place like this?"

"I don't know," Neo said. "Guess I like to eat and have clothes to wear."

"Personally, I'd like to see you without clothes." Jeb ran his eyes over her body.

"And I'd like to see you without your head attached to your shoulders," Neo said. "I guess we're both not going to get what we want."

The people near them laughed.

Jeb shot them a glare, causing them to go quiet before turning back to her. "I could give you a better life than this."

"Sure you could." Neo rolled her eyes. She turned to walk off but was stopped by Jeb tightening his hold on her wrist. "Let go. I have other tables and customers I need to attend to."

"I ain't done talking to ya," Jeb said. "You're _my_ waitress right now and any time I come in here."

"Sorry, bud, that's not how this works," Neo said. "I only wait on the table you're sitting at. I don't belong to you."

"From this day forward you do," Jeb said. He smiled, his missing and black teeth showing. "Don't you know anything about pirates, sweetheart?"

"I know plenty about pirates," Neo said.

"Then you must know that once we've set our sights on a treasure we don't let it go until we have it," Jeb said. "And you are the most beautiful treasure I have ever seen."

"I'm not your treasure," Neo said.

"You are now." Jeb reached out for her thigh.

Neo grabbed his wrist, kicked her foot out she knocked the chair out from underneath him, and tossed him to the floor. "Don't touch me."

Everyone in the room laughed.

One of restaurant's guests said, "She's a feisty one, isn't she?"

"She sure showed you, _pirate_ ," another one added.

Flushed with rage and growling, Jeb pushing himself back on his feet. He pushed the table over, glass shattered on the floor. "You're going to pay for that." Turning to her he cracked his knuckles before swinging at her.

Neo ducked his punch. Using his momentum, she grabbed his arm and flipped him over onto his back.

People laughed harder.

"You little brat!" Jeb scrambled back to his feet. He grabbed his sword and started pulling it out.

Neo stumbled backwards. There was no real way for her to defend herself against a sword without her crystals. Her heart raced but she refused to let herself panic. She still would be able to dodge his attacks. Like her Godfather taught her, she would be patient, calm, and look for her opening to disarm him.

But before Jeb could get his sword all the way out, both Kailen and Gaven appeared. Kailen stepped in front of Neo while Gaven grabbed Jeb's wrist and pushed the sword back into the sheath.

"I think it's time you leave," Gaven said.

"Gaven," Neo said.

"You all right?" Gaven asked looking back at her.

"Yes, I'm fine," Neo said.

Gaven nodded before shoving Jeb towards the door. "Get out and don't ever come back. I'm done with you harassing my staff."

"You'll pay for this. Mark my words you will pay," Jeb said before leaving the building.

"Neo, are you hurt?" Kailen turned to his sister, his eyes scanning for possible injuries.

"I'm fine, Kai," Neo said. "Stop worrying."

"That was impressive," Gaven said. "I intend no disrespect, but I never would have guessed someone of your small size could handle a pirate like that."

"Godfather taught us both how to handle ourselves," Neo said.

"He's a good man I'm sure," Gaven said before heading back to the kitchen.

"I bet he wouldn't say that if he knew who our godfather is," Neo mumbled. She turned to help her brother clean up the mess the small brawl had caused. He put the table back on its feet while she started picking up the broken glass. Her body paused when she saw the spotted hatted man was watching her again. His steel colored eyes held a mix of surprise and amusement at what he had just seen her do. Bristling, she turned away from him and focused picking up glass from the floor. She didn't mean to give him another reason to be interested in her. Luckily the rest of the day went without incident. "Finally. I never though the day would end."

"At least we have the day off tomorrow," Kailen said as they walked towards the cave.

"I might hide out in the cave all day," Neo said.

"Might be a good idea with Jeb still around," Kailen said.

"What are you going to do?" Neo asked.

"Probably spend most of the time at the harbor," Kailen said.

"Well, watch that one guy," Neo said.

"The one with the yellow hoodie?" Kailen looked at her.

Neo nodded. "He's trouble."

"Don't worry," Kailen said. "I'll avoid him as much as possible."

…

Neo rolled onto her back and stared up at the cave ceiling. All the animals left her long ago to find food and water for themselves. And Kailen had been gone all morning long. Boredom was setting in. She wanted to just sleep but her mind wanted to do nothing but go over what happened back on Luminous. She stressed and agonized over what she could have done different to save her parents. Groaning she ran her hands over her face and forced herself to sit up. Sitting around doing nothing turned out to be a bad thing. Kailen was right. She needed to move and do things to keep herself from sinking farther into depression. Pulling on her shoes, she left the cave to do just that. Maybe she could help her brother look for someone going to Sabaody. Heck, maybe she could charm someone into taking them. Maybe they had wasted enough time here.

She was about to reach the edge of the forest when the hairs on her neck suddenly stood up. Pausing, she looked around to see what could have possible caused this reaction. Nothing but forest came into her view. She turned back to the town and jumped when Jeb appeared from nowhere. "What are you doing here?"

"Just coming to say hello," Jeb said.

Neo shivered when he scanned his eyes up and down her body. Sure he came to say hello. "Get lost."

"I can't do that," Jeb said taking a step closer to her. "I already told you. Once a pirate sets his sights on treasure he won't let it go."

"And I already told you I'm _not_ your treasure," Neo said taking a step back.

"You are. And you'll always be mine," Jeb said walking closer to her. "We're setting sail today and you're coming with me."

Neo scoffed, bringing her fists up in defense. "Then you're going to have one heck of a time getting me to your ship. You should already know from yesterday that I'm not a push over despite my size."

"I couldn't help but notice that necklace you wear," Jeb said. "Don't you know you shouldn't wear such expensive jewelry around pirates?"

"I'll do as I please," Neo said.

Jeb chuckled. "And as will I."

A twig snapped. Neo's eyes drew towards it before she could stop herself. Her heart skipped a beat. Jeb's crew was standing there, surrounding her, with smirks on their faces. She growled. Clearly they had planned this. They were going to try and force her onto their ship by outnumbering her when she was alone. "You've been watching us."

"Of course I have," Jeb said. "All we had to do was wait until you were alone."

Neo gritted her teeth. Mentally she called out for the animals near by to come and help her. It was her only defense.

"Attack, men," Jeb said.

One lunged at her. Kicking out her foot she nailed him in the gut before roundhouse kicking a few more pirates. Two squirrels ran up a couple pirates' pants legs. They screamed out. Iron filled the air. They had been bitten.

"What the heck?" Jeb asked. "What's your problem?"

"Something bit us, Captain!"

The squirrels ran out of their pants.

"Squirrels? You're letting squirrels make you scream like sissies? Get her, men!" Jeb shouted. "Grab her!"

Neo landed three punches before the pirates grabbed her arms, pinning them to her sides. Her heart leaped into her throat. The animals were coming, but not fast enough.

"Got ya!" Jeb cried rushing forward with his sword out.

Neo gasped. Sharp pain raced through her body as the sword punctured her lower left stomach. Warm blood dripped down her skin.

"You shouldn't have embarrassed me," Jeb said. His hand wrapped around her necklace, pulling her closer to him. "You're lucky I've taken a fancy towards ya. If not that would have been a fatal hit."

Neo cough, blood slipped from her mouth. "You…you won't get away with this."

Jeb chuckled. He opened his mouth to reply but was halted when a sharp peck came down on his head. "Ouch! What the heck?!"

Birds swarmed the two pirates, pecking them. More squirrels and rabbits ran out from bushes and sunk their teeth into the pirates' skin. A fox ran out, biting a pirate on his rump. Screams filled the air.

"Get away from me!"

"What's going on with these stupid animals?!"

"Why are they attacking us?!"

"Get off of me!"

"Filthy vermin!" Jeb sliced his sword through the air, but missed his targets each time.

The pirates' hands fell off of her. Neo stumbled backwards, pressing her hand to her wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She turned and ran. Desperation filled her. Her solar crystal still wasn't responding to her calls. She needed help. She needed her brother. A bird answered her call. It flew down and beside her as she spoke to it. "Please, find…find my brother."

The bird chirped and quickly flew off.

"Great. Now what do I do?" Neo asked herself. She knew the animals would give her time enough to escape but where should she go? If she went back to the cave then it would take longer for her to get help. But if she ran into the town someone would see her blood and they would try and take her to a doctor. She had no clue which would be better and which would be worse.

…

Law sighed when it started to become obvious that the blue haired girl wasn't going to show up at the restaurant today. A waitress walked over to him and said, "Do you need anything else?"

"That blue haired girl," Law said. "Where is she?"

"She's off today," she said.

Law frowned. That should have been obvious. "Do you know where she lives?"

"I'm afraid not," she said before a customer called for more food. "Please, excuse me."

Placing his money on the table, he got up and left, asking a few more people if they knew where the girl lived on the way out. No one knew. Stepping out into the hot sun, he looked around the town. With no better idea, he took off towards the forest in hopes to clear his mind before they had to set sail. Within a few minutes the hot sun was blocked by the leaves of the trees. His gate was slow and steady, enjoying this walk before having to be confided to the sub again. There was no reason to hurry. So he didn't.

A mere few minutes into his walk he was caught off guard by a blue blur dashing around a tree. It collided into him, barely moving him. He blinked. It was her. The girl he had been searching for was right in front of him. She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with fright and pain. Then he smelled it, the all too familiar scent of iron, of blood was in the air. Before he could say anything she ran around him and disappeared into the forest. Turning his body, he started after her, but paused when something bumped against his boot. Looking down he saw the silver necklace he had seen on her before. He picked it up, finding the chain had broke, and read the word on it. "Neo."

"After her!" an all too familiar voice shouted. "I want her back!"

Law stepped behind a tree. Seconds later Jeb and his pirate crew rushed by him. All were covered in bleeding wounds, some which looked like teeth marks. His lips curled down into a frown when his eyes landed on the fresh blood on Jeb's sword. This guy must have hurt her. But how did they get all those wounds on their bodies? There were too many and they were too small for a person to make. He waited until they were farther away before following them.

…

Kailen eyed the similar boiler suits a group of four men were wearing. They were loading things upon the only submarine in the harbor. The sub stood out, or so he thought. It was yellow with a black smiling face on it and the word death painted in black. There was no black flag indicating that it was a pirate ship but the Jolly Roger they wore on their suits and sub suggested other wise. The guy in the restaurant wearing the yellow hoodie had the same exact smiley face on his chest. They were all on the same crew. It was possible they were heading in the direction he and Neo needed to go but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. He turned to look for another ship but paused when something felt off to him. Neo entered his mind. He needed to go check on her. Turning away from the harbor he headed back to the cave.

As he reached the end of the docks, a bird flew down into his face, chirping up a storm. "Hey, hold on. Slow down. I can't understand you. What?!"

People stopped and looked at him when he yelled.

Ignoring them he took off in a run. "Crap! This is all my fault! I knew he was interested in her! I shouldn't have left her alone like that! If she dies I'll never forgive myself!"

Kailen sensed out his sister. She was running in the opposite direction of him. Panic settled in his chest. She should have been coming to him or going back to the cave. But then he remembered the battle strategies Shanks taught them. It would have been a mistake for her to go back to the cave. They were chasing her and could pin her inside. And it would have been bad if she came into the town. Someone would have seen her. If she was hurt then they would try and force her to go to a doctor. He picked up his pace. Reaching the forest, he summoned his crystals. Vines grew up, lifting him into the air and rushing through the forest like fast moving snakes. "Hold on, Neo! I'm coming!"

…

Law rushed to catch up to them, slipping her necklace into his pocket for safekeeping. Unfortunately, it was far too easy. He knew it was because of the blood the girl was losing. She had to be getting light headed about right now and in a lot of pain. He reached them. The pirates had her surrounded. She was slumped against a tree, holding her hand to her bloody shirt.

"Finally," Jeb said.

Standing half hidden behind a tree, Law watched as the pirates moved in closer to her.

"You're coming with us."

Law grabbed the hilt of his sword. It wasn't his normal behavior to save someone he didn't know but he couldn't walk away from her. His sword was almost out of its sheath when the flora around him started going wild. Large vines raced passed him. In a split second, the green haired boy from the restaurant was dropping down in front of the girl. Several light green crystals were hovering around the man's body. "What the heck? How did that guy just…? Is that guy controlling the plants?"

No words came after that. Law wasn't sure of what he was watching. Then it happened. In a mere few seconds the vines snapped out around the pirates' bodies. The pirates screamed and struggled but were quickly cut off. The unmistakable sounds of bones being crushed replaced their voices. Their bodies dropped lifelessly to the ground. The green haired, plant-controlling man had killed them all with one move, a move that shouldn't have been possible even with a devil fruit.

The flora went back to normal.

The strange crystals vanished.

Law sheathed his sword and waited. There was no way he was going to let these two go. He was going to take them onto his sub and learn their secrets one way or another.

…

Ignoring the men he had just killed, Kailen dropped to his knees. Pulling Neo up and in his arms, he cursed himself. The whole lower half of her shirt was covered in blood, as was her left pant leg. The wound was bad, most likely life threatening if he didn't get her help soon. But could he do that without having to answer a lot of questions?

"K-Kai," Neo said.

"Hold on, Neo," Kailen said. "I'm going to get you some help."

"S-sorry," Neo said. "My crystals…they won't appear."

"Don't talk," Kailen said. "Save your strength." He moved to picked her up but stopped when something across the forest moved. Looking up his heart jolted. Standing there was the yellow hoodie man from the restaurant. He swallowed. If this man was that close then it was possible that he saw his crystals and what he did with the flora around them. He wanted to read the man's eyes but the spotted hat he wore fell over them, blocking his view.

"Interesting abilities you have there," the man said.

Kailen's heart hammered in his chest. So the man did see him. There was only one way out of this: Lie. "A devil fruit."

"Interesting," he said. "I've never seen a devil fruit with that kind of power before. And I've never heard of a devil fruit user needing a conductor to use their power."

"Yeah. Well, there are so many out there," Kailen said.

Neo coughed. Blood dripped down her chin. She passed out.

"Neo." Kailen looked down at her.

"She's bleeding too much," the man said. "She needs to see a doctor."

"I know that!" Kailen snapped.

"Then what's holding you back?" The man lifted his head.

Kailen swallowed. The man's eyes were steel grey and full of questions and a spark of purpose. It was all too clear that this man didn't buy that he was using a devil fruit. There was no way to lie his way out of this. They were trapped.

"Let's not play games here," the man said. "It's clear you're hesitate to get some help for her. If you weren't you would already be heading for a doctor. So, since I already saw what you did, I want you to come aboard my sub. I'm a doctor. I can help her."

Kailen gritted his teeth. His mind raced with his options. He could take her into town and get one of the doctors there to take care of her. Or he could go with this man. This man who saw him use his magic. This man who had been watching his sister for four days. This man who was clearly not going to let them get away.

"You need to make up your mind fast," the man said. "A lot of pirates don't disinfect their swords. I'm certain she has an infection running through her blood right now. It could kill her. Besides…" he dug into his pocket. "I'm sure she'll want this back when she wakes up."

Kailen's heart jumped into his throat. The man somehow had Neo's birth medallion. His eyes shot to Neo's chest. It was really missing. His eyes shot back to the man. "How did you get that?!"

"Does it really matter? Your friend there is dying," he said. "What's your decision going to be? Take your chances with a doctor who doesn't know anything about you or with a doctor who knows you two are very different from everyone else?"

Kailen growled. Never before had he felt being back into a corner like this. He didn't have time to sit here and stew over which was the safer option. With no more time left to decide, he said, "Fine. I accept your offer. Please, help her."

"Good," he said with a smirk. "Then follow me."

 **Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Our internet decided not to work last week.**


	10. Heart Pirates

Heart Pirates

"We need to stop the bleeding as much as we can."

Kailen took off his shirt. "Use this." He watched as the man ripped up his shirt and used it as a makeshift wrap for Neo's wound.

"Let's go." The man picked up his sword and headed away from them.

Gritting his teeth, Kailen picked Neo up and followed the man back towards the harbor. His pulse hiccupped when the man lead him to the yellow submarine he had seen before. He had been right after all. Mind racing, he wondered if this was a good idea after all. "So you're a pirate?"

"Pirate captain of the Heart Pirates," he said. "My name is Trafalgar Law. I'll warp us aboard."

Before Kailen could question what he meant by warp a blue dome appeared over them a few seconds before the harbor was replaced with the steel inside of the sub and with medical equipment. "What the heck? Did you just use a devil fruit?"  
"Yes. Explanations will come later." Law patted one of the large beds in the middle of the room. "Put her down here."

Kailen didn't move.

"You want her to die?" Law asked placing his sword up against the counter.

Kailen swallowed. He placed Neo down on the bed, his eyes carefully watching every move Law made. The man washed his hands, good for him. He then gloved them, another point for him. Maybe this guy wasn't all that bad. He clearly knew how to clean up before an operation. Next he got a bunch of tools that Kailen didn't recognize. Panic rose in his chest before remembering this guy was human. They didn't have the same tools they had back on Luminous. Breathing out he let his mind drift back to Shanks ship and recalled the tools the doctor had there. The ones here looked more familiar now.

"Something wrong? You look pale," Law said.

Kailen jumped. "No. Nothing's wrong."

"You don't have to worry." Law placed his tray of tools on a small trolley and pushed it over to the operating table. "I'm not going to do anything to hurt her. I'm too interested in you two to do that."

Kailen clenched his hands. His mind raced. There was no way of knowing whether or not he made the right decision or if this man was speaking the truth. Either way, they were stuck here for the time being. Exhaling, he stepped aside for the man to work. His eyes carefully observed every little move Law made as he worked on his sister, attaching her to semi-familiar machines, putting her under so she wouldn't feel anything, sticking an IV into her arm to administer medicine, and sterilizing the wound.

"Does she have any health conditions I need to know about?" Law asked as he worked. "Allergies? What's her blood type?"

"No," Kailen said. "She's as healthy as a person can be. No allergies either. Her blood type is X."

"Good." Law picked up a scalpel and started to cut her shirt off. Once it was removed he placed a towel over her chest. "We're going to have to give her some blood. What's your type?"

"Same. It's X," Kailen said.

Kailen waited and waited for the man to say something but he didn't.

"Oi! Captain, you in here?" a voice asked before a man in a boiler suit walked into the room. His eyes landed on the unfamiliar green haired man before looking at the girl on the table. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean…what's going on?"

"These two go into a bit of trouble. This girl was hurt," Law said. "So I'm helping them."

"Oh, um." The man clearly didn't know what to say. His eyes just kept darting between the two men.

"Conner, we need some of his blood to give to the girl," Law said nodding at Kailen. "Hook him up."

"Uh, sure thing." Conner walked farther into the room still confused at what was going on.

Kailen flickered his eyes back and forth between the two men in the room. Conner moved over to the cabinets and started getting out everything he needed for the blood transfusion.

"Here, um," Conner started when he was ready to begin.

"Kailen," Kailen said.

"Right, Kailen. I'm Conner," Conner said. "Lay down next to…"

"Neo," Kailen said. "She's my sister." He noticed Law's eyes flicking up to him. A question the pirate captain had was just answered. He forced himself to relax. Saying they were siblings didn't give anything away. They were still fine.

"Then lay down next to her and I'll get you two hooked up," Conner said.

Kailen laid down beside his sister. He stiffened when Conner suddenly paused and started at him and Neo. He swallowed. This man could also sense they were different. He cleared his throat. "You going to hook us up or not?"

"Right." The man jumped. "Sorry."

The sting of the needle barely register in Kailen's head when it was inserted. His blood flowed through the tube and into Neo's arm.

Conner stepped back a foot and waited.

"Finished," Law said. "You're lucky that man was a lousy shot. There wasn't much internal damage done. Clearly he was tempting to take her alive. Though she'll need several days of rest and a specialized diet until her wound has healed properly. It'll be important for her to eat small meals throughout the day until her stomach can handle more."

"Right." Kailen watched Neo closely.

Law walked away from them. He discarded his bloody gloves, washed his hands, then grabbed his sword and headed out of the room. "I'll be back in a little while. Just lay there and don't move."

"Right," Kailen said. He wasn't planning on moving anyway. Nothing would get him to move away from his sister.

…

Law exited the room with Conner following close behind. He could feel the questions floating around his subordinate. Though he didn't answer them until they walked down the stairs to the main floor. "Kailen can control plants."

"What?" Conner asked. "He's a devil fruit user?"

"I don't think so," Law said. "He was using these green crystals to control the plants. I've never heard of a devil fruit user having to use a conductor for their powers."

"Then what did he use?" Conner asked.

"I'm not sure," Law said. "But there's something off about those two. They don't really feel human."

"Their not human?" Conner gasped.

"Didn't you notice when you were about to hook up the IV to them?" Law asked. "What did you feel from them?"

"I'm not sure," Conner said. "It was like I was surrounded by a large forest only I knew we were inside of the sub."

"I've had similar experiences like that when I've been close to them. But look at this." Law dug into his pocket and pulled out Neo's medallion.

"What is that? The silver is obvious, but these crystals don't look familiar at all." Conner took the medallion in his hand for a closer look.

"The girl was wearing it. She ran into me a few days ago when I was walking around in the forest. I think the chain broke when she was attacked today," Law said. "Fix the chain for me then bring it back to me when you're done."

"Sure thing, Captain," Conner said closing his fingers around the necklace. "Oh, you should know the crew has seen that guy around the harbor several times since we've been here."

"What for?" Law asked.

"He's apparently asking around to see if anyone's going to Sabaody," Conner said.

"Why would they want to go there?" Law asked.

"No idea." Conner shook his head. "He never said."

"Interesting." Law smiled.

"Oh, no. I know that look. You've got a plan going inside of that head of yours," Conner said. "What is it this time?"  
"Just get the necklace fix and leave this up to me," Law said heading back up the stairs. His two new guests were right where he had left them. Kailen was now sitting up with his arm carefully resting over his lap. Giving them a few more minutes alone he observed them before entered into the room. "She's stable so you don't have to worry about her."

"She's my sister," Kailen said. "How can I not worry?"  
"Understandable," Law said. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a hospital gown then got a basin, filled it with water, a couple of washrags, and a bar of soap. He placed them down on the operating table. "You'll probably want to clean her up and get her changed."

"How long until she can move?" Kailen asked.

"Why? You in a hurry to go somewhere?" Law asked.

"We've already taken up enough of your time," Kailen said. "We don't have much money but you can have all we got for your services."

"I'm not interested in your money," Law said. "I think you would know that by now."

"Yeah. It's more than obvious," Kailen said. "I still had to try."

"So who are you people?" Law asked. "You have this strange inhuman feel about you. I noticed it on her first back in the restaurant."

Kailen didn't move.

"You know it's pointless to keep this a secret from me," Law said. "I did, after all, save your sister's life."

Kailen gritted his teeth.

Law could clearly see the battle going on in this man's head. They were keeping a secret. But what kind of secret was it? Was it really that ability to move and use plants as a weapon? Or was it more than that? "Does she have them too? Those crystals you were using?"

Kailen sighed. "Yes. She does."

Law smiled, a victory no matter how small. "Then why didn't she use them to save herself? Clearly you had the upper hand on those pirates with them."

"She can't," Kailen said. "She can't use them right now."

"Why not?" Law asked.

"She just suffering from a bit of a shock and is unable to use them," Kailen said.

"I see," Law said. "Conner told me you two were looking for someone to take you to Sabaody. Is this true?"

"It is," Kailen said.

"Why is that?" Law asked. When Kailen didn't answer, he added, "You don't have to answer me if you don't want to. But you should know that it won't do you any good. You two own me for saving her life. And therefore you are my prisoners until you give me what I want."

"You can't do that." Kailen glared at him. Several green crystals appeared around the room. Vine slithered out of them.

"I'm a pirate. I can do whatever I want. Are you going to use your crystals on me?" Law listed his head. He waited for the man to make a move, but nothing happened. "I could be wrong but you don't seem like the type that would harm someone for helping your sister. Am I wrong?"

Kailen sighed, the crystals faded away. "We're looking for our godfather. We're in a bit of trouble and he might be able to help us get Neo to be able to use her crystals again. That's all I can tell you."

"And you think he's on Sabaody?" Law asked.

"If not there's someone that might be there who can tell us where he is," Kailen said.

"Then we will be taking you to Sabaody," Law said.

"What?" Kailen looked at him.

"You need a ride. And we're going in that direction. Besides, you two are my prisoners until you've answered all of my questions. As for you paying me for my services I'm sure we can work something out soon. Room." Law held up his hand. His Room spread over the sub. "Shambles."

Chains appeared around Neo's wrists, bounding her to the bed.

"What are you doing?!" Kailen grabbed the chains and tried to tug them off. They didn't budge.

"I am unsure of your abilities. Until I can understand them fully I'm not taking any chances," Law said.

"She's injured for crying out loud!" Kailen spat. "If you're going to chain someone up chain me up instead!"

"I thought about it but you could still escape with normal chains," Law said. "And if I decided to put sea prism stone on you there's the chance that you could get out of them by picking the lock with a vine. By putting her on lock down I'm positive you won't do anything that will cause her harm."

"You can't be serious," Kailen said.

"I never joke," Law said. "We're leaving this island tomorrow. Welcome aboard."

"Some welcome!" Kailen hissed.

"I will also be keeping a hold of her medallion," Law said as he left the room. "I'm sure you won't want to leave that behind either." He paused and turned back to the green haired man. "You are free to move around the sub. But you will get a tour before you do that. I won't want you messing with anything you shouldn't be touching."

"What about our jobs? And our clothes?" Kailen said. "Those need to be taken care of if we're really leaving this island with you."

"You're free to take care of that," Law said.

"No. I'm not leaving her until she wakes up," Kailen said. "Despite you saving my sister it should be clear I don't trust you."

"Suit yourself. I'll send Conner back up here. You can write a note to your boss and tell him what's going on. You can also have him go get your stuff for you." Law left the room.

"Captain," Conner said when Law reached the main floor. He held out the necklace. "It's fixed. I also polished it. It was a bit dirty."

"Thanks." Law took the necklace and shoved it in his pocket.

"So what about those two?" Conner jerked his thumb to the stairs leading up to the medical bay.

"They'll be sailing with us for a while," Law said.

"We have new crewmates?" Conner asked, shocked.

"No, they're my prisoners," Law said. "They'll be that way until they tell me what I want to know and repay me for my services."

"I see," Conner said. "Shall I tell the crew about them?"  
"Yes." Law nodded. "They need to be aware of what these two can do. Also tell them the girl is stronger than she looks. So don't let her size fool you. Plus, I believe Kailen wishes to write a note to his boss that they aren't coming back to work. And They'll need their stuff picked up from where they're staying. Do that for him. He won't leave the girl alone here."

"All right, Captain. I'll go do that and let the crew know. Unless you want me to stay and watch them," Conner said. "Is it possible they'll try and escape?"

"That won't be necessary," Law said. "Kailen won't be leaving without his sister or this necklace."

"Is that necklace really that important to them?" Conner asked.

"It has to be. The expression Kailen had in the woods when I showed him I had it was unmistakable," Law said. "They won't be going anywhere without it even after she's healed."

"Okay then. I'll see you later." Conner turned and walked up to the medical bay.

Law watched his subordinate disappear up the stairs before heading on down the stairs. Reaching the end of the flight, he turned to his right he walked down the hall until he got to his room. He closed the door behind him then looked around. Losing this necklace would be a bad thing so he had to pick a place to hide it where those two wouldn't find it. Creating his Room, he warped the thing into the center of his mattress. Of course it was possible that they would check there but with the necklace in the middle there's no way they would find it unless they ripped the thing to complete shreds. And he knew that would be unlikely. It would take too much time for that. They would undoubtedly get caught by him if they tried. It would be safe there until he got what he wanted from them.

…

 _Neo hummed to herself while her small fingers twisted the stem of small white flowers together. Several animals surrounded her, watching her as she worked. She plucked another flower from the field and twisted the stem._

 _"Neo," Mira called. "Where are you?"_

 _"Mama!" Neo jumped up when she heard her mother's voice calling her. She turned and ran to her mother._

 _"There you are," Mira said. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"_

 _"I make you this." Neo held up the crown of flowers._

 _"How sweet." Mira ducked her head so Neo could place the crown on her head. "Thank you. It's lovely."_

 _Neo smiled._

 _"It's time to go home now," Mira said holding out her hand. "Let's go."_

 _Neo reached for her mother's hand, but her hand passed right through it. "Huh?"_

 _"What's wrong, Neo?" Mira smiled. "Let's go home. Your father and brother are waiting for us."_

 _"Mama," Neo said, her body changing to her adult form. She tried grabbing her mother's hand again only passing right through it. "Mom, I can't touch you."_

 _Mira just continued to smile._

 _"No, Mom," Neo said when her mom started fading as the world grew dark around them. "Come back. Where are you going?"_

 _"Mom!" Neo ran after her, unable to catch up. Her mom got farther and farther away, disappearing more into the darkness. "Mom! Mom!"_

"Mom," Neo mumbled in her sleep. "Come back. Don't go." Reaching out, she took a hold of a warm hand. She opened her eyes to a blue blur above her. She looked towards the source, unable to see them clearly due to blurry vision. "Mom?"

"Sorry," a man said. "I'm not your mom."

Neo blinked a couple times before her vision cleared. A man with a black and white hat was standing next to her, holding her hand. Panic shot through her upon remembering what Jeb tried to do. She had been captured. This had to be one of his men. She kicked out her foot, nailing the man in his stomach. Instantly she regretted the movement when pain shot through her stomach. She groaned as he did.

"Wow! The captain was right! You're strong for a little girl!" the man said.

"I'm not a little girl! And I'm…" Neo tugged on her arms to place her hands on her throbbing stomach when more pain throw through her. Only her right arm obeyed her. Lifting her left arm up she found she was chained down. "What the heck?! Kailen!"

"Huh? I'm here," Kailen said groggily.

Neo whipped her eyes to him, only noticing at that moment that he was even in the room with her. He was sitting in a chair beside her bed. She eyed the unfamiliar room they were in. "Kailen, what's going on?! Why am I chained down?! Where are we?!"

"A lot's happened since you've been asleep these past two days," Kailen said.

"I've been asleep for two days?" Neo asked her eyes pausing on him. Looking behind her brother's head she noticed the bluish grey wall. Then to her left she found a machine with tubes leading from it to her chest. The machine beeped in sync with her heart. Her eyes scanned the room again, momentarily stopping on the man she had kicked before continuing to her brother. "What's going on?"

"We're onboard a pirate's submarine," Kailen said.

"We're what?" Neo looked at her brother then over at the other man. He was still rubbing his stomach.

"It wasn't him," Kailen said. "His captain was the one who brought us onboard. He's the man that was watching you in the restaurant."

"Wait." Neo's eyes zeroed in on the familiar smiley face on the man's boiler suit. "Did that…no, tell me you didn't. Does he…Jeb and…" She shook her head. "I'm so confused."

"I'm sorry, Neo," Kailen said. "Things got out of control and this guy's captain saw me use my crystals on Jeb and his crew."

Alarms sounded off in Neo's head. She jerked to sit up, causing more pain in her stomach.

"You really shouldn't get up just yet," the man said.

Neo shot him a glare.

"Sorry." The man jumped back. "I'm just telling you what the captain told me."

"You better explain to me what happened," Neo said, ignoring the pirate.

"The man who brought us here is a pirate captain, Trafalgar Law. He saw the fight in the forest and said he was a doctor who could help you. So he brought us here and fixed your stomach up. I had to tell him that we both were born with our crystals," Kailen said. "He sensed we were different and has told his entire crew about it."

Neo's heart hammered against her chest.

"I didn't have a choice," Kailen said. "He knew I didn't have a devil fruit. And…"

"There's more?" Neo asked.

Kailen nodded. "He said he was willing to take us to Sabaody but we're prisoners aboard his sub until we tell him everything and pay him for helping you."

"Prisoners. No kidding." Neo waved her arm, the chains jingled. "Tell me something I don't know."

"He has your medallion," Kailen said.

Neo stomach churned. Placing a hand over her mouth, she gagged.

"Easy." Kailen reached out and rubbed her back.

"He…he what?" Neo gasped out.

"The chain apparently broke at some point. He found it and is keeping a hold on it and us until we tell him everything," Kailen said.

"Everything." Neo looked at him. "So he doesn't know about…"

"No." Kailen shook his head. Lowering his voice he added, "I only told him we were born with these crystals, you've suffered a traumatic event that prevents you from using yours, and that we're heading to Sabaody to look for our godfather who might be able to help you. That's it."

Neo swallowed. So these men didn't know about their connect to Shanks. She exhaled and laid back down. "I see. What about Gaven?"

"I sent him a letter," Kailen said. "One of Trafalgar's subordinates took it to him and brought our stuff here."

"This is just great," Neo said lifting her arm to look at the cuff around her wrist. "Prisoners on a pirate ship. Godfather will not be happy about this."

"Well, look at it this way," the forgotten man in the room said. "At least you haven't been thrown in the brig."

Neo pushed up on her elbows and frowned at him. "Like this is much better? Your captain will probably throw us down there when I'm feeling better."

"He won't do that," the man said.

Neo shook her head. Laying back down she said, "Whatever."

"Well, I'm going to go tell the captain you're awake now," he said. "He'll want to come check on you."

Neo and Kailen remained silent until the man's footsteps disappeared down the hall. She said, "This is just great."

"How are you feeling?" Kailen asked.

"Sore," Neo said. "But not as bad as I thought I would. I'm not sure but I think my solar crystal is still healing me despite the fact I can't summon it."

"Good." Kailen nodded. "The less that man has to work on you the better."

"So what's he like?" Neo asked. When Kailen didn't answer her she turned her head. He held a look of disbelief on his face. "What?"  
"He basically kidnapped us and is holding us hostage," Kailen said. "What do you think he's like?"

"Sorry. I guess a part of me was hoping my instincts were wrong about him," Neo said.

"Well, they weren't," Kailen said. "This guy is dangerous. Though I don't think his crew is as dangerous as he is. They have a bear onboard."

"A bear?" Neo cocked an eyebrow.

"I haven't gotten to speak with him or anyone else about him yet, but he walks on two legs and can talk. I mean he can _literally_ talk," Kailen said. "Humans can understand him. He might be a mink. Remember when Shanks told us about them?"

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "I can sense him now."

"And I'm sure he can sense us," Kailen said. "At least he'll be able to smell we're different."

"Doesn't really matter," Neo said. "The captain here knows we're different since he told his crew. How long do you think we'll be able to keep it a secret? What and who we really are?"

"I don't know," Kailen said. "We won't be able to if the elementals from Luminous find us."

"Well, being on a pirate crew has one advantage," Neo said.

"And what's that?" Kailen asked.

"They never stay in one place for too long," Neo said. "As long as we keep moving there's a chance the elementals won't catch up with us."

"Maybe," Kailen mumbled. "I'm still not sure if we're exactly safe here. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"I see you're awake."

The elementals looked to the door to see the captain standing there. Neo's eyebrow knitted together. She watched him closely as he walked over to them. His sword was missing. But his hands were inside of his jeans pockets. For all she knew he had a knife inside of them.

"And how are we feeling?" Law asked reaching for her wrist.

Neo jerked away from him.

Law smirked. "I can understand you're feeling a bit stressed, Miss Neo. But I assure you all I'm going to do is check your pulse. I just preformed surgery on you after all."

"Fine." Neo relaxed against her pillow. A shiver threatened to wash over her body at his touch. His callused fingers were surprisingly gentle pressing into her skin. It had to be a trick. He had to be trying to lull her into a state of security before striking.

"Pulse is good," Law said. "How's your pain?"

"Fine," Neo said.

"I need more than that," Law said. "On a one to ten scale. Ten being the worst."

"Four," Neo said.

"Really?" Law tilted his head.

"Why would I lie?" Neo asked.

"Very well. It's your body," Law said.

"Then how about freeing me?" Neo shook her confined arm.

"Not just yet," Law said. "I need to know that I can trust you before I let you roam free on my sub."

"We're trapped on a sub with a pirate crew," Neo said. "And you're holding my medallion hostage. Where do you think we're going to go?"  
"I prefer to take precautions," Law said. "It's dangerous out here on the sea after all. And you two are clearly very powerful."

"My brother's free," Neo said.

"He has made it quiet clear that he wasn't going to leave you alone or do anything that could cause more harm to you," Law said. "Smart choice considering where you are. And he's been with you ever since I brought you two here."

"Well, I can assure you we won't hurt you unless you try to hurt us first," Neo said.

"Trust is earned, Miss Neo," Law said.

"Indeed," Neo said. "Then we are at a stalemate."

"Apparently so," Law said. "I can assure you that we have no intention of harming you as long as you do not present yourselves as a threat."

"Trust is earned, Mr. Trafalgar," Neo said.

"Indeed." Law smirked before heading out of the room. "Someone will bring you your meals soon."

"So what do you think?" Kailen asked when the captain was gone.

"Jerk," Neo said. "What does he want from us? I mean really."

"It's hard to tell," Kailen said. "He said he was going to work out our payment for his services but he hasn't said anything about it yet."

"Where do you think he put my medallion?" Neo asked.

"Neo, don't worry about that right now," Kailen said. "Just rest and get better."

"It's mine. How can I not worry about it?" Neo frowned at him.

Kailen ran his hands through his hair. "We'll get it back. I promise we will. It just might take a little time."

"Well, time is something that's not really on our side," Neo said. "Now is it?"  
"No, it's not," Kailen said.

"Knock, knock," a voice said.

Neo and Kailen looked to the door to find another pirate entering into the room with a tray of food.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said. "Captain asked me to bring you two something to eat. Penguin was going to bring it but he didn't think it would be a good idea since you kicked him in the stomach."

Neo cocked an eyebrow when it was obvious the man was running his eyes over her body from behind his sunglasses.

"It's hard imaging a girl your size being able to knock him back," he said. "But the captain did tell us what you did to the Jeb pirate."

"Well, he shouldn't have startled me then," Neo said.

"I'm sure he won't do that again," he said. "I'm Shachi, by the way. It's nice to meet you two."

Neo pushed herself up. "Really?"

"Despite how you came to be on your sub we're still going to be hospitable," Shachi said.

"Oh really?" Neo jiggled her chain. "Then let me go, Mr. Hospitable."

"Sorry. That's not up to me to decide," Shachi said handing the tray over to Kailen. "The soup's for your sister. And the captain's holding onto the key anyway."

"Wonderful." Neo rubbed her throbbing temples.

"The captain's a good guy," Shachi said.

"Charming," Neo deadpanned.

"He's just cautious," Shachi said. "I know he'll let you go soon. While you're technically our prisoners you're not going to actually be treated-"

Neo giggled her chain again.

"Sorry." Shachi flushed and backed up towards the door. "Well, I'll let you eat now. Someone will be by later to get the dishes. Bye."

"He seemed a bit skittish," Neo said.

"Maybe he's scared of you." Kailen smirked. "After all you did kick one of his friends. And you're such a small little girl."

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks. "It's not like I planned that. Like I said, he shouldn't have startled me. Who in their right mind takes a hold of someone's hand when they're dreaming? And just having gone through surgery. I was groggy from whatever medications that pirate used on me."

"You're embarrassed," Kailen said.

"I am not!" Neo's cheeks darkened a shade of red.

"You're so embarrassed about that," Kailen said.

"Whatever." Neo took the bowl of soup off the tray. Picking up the spoon she took a bite. Her first bite produced a sigh. There was still no flavor. "For a moment there I forgot about everything that happened on Luminous."

"Then maybe being on this pirate sub is just what you need," Kailen said.

"Don't even joke about that," Neo said. "I don't want to be on a pirate ship or sub unless it's Godfather's or Luffy's. And as you can clearly see we're not on their ships."

"I know, I know. I was only teasing you," Kailen said. "For a moment there you were back to your old self."

"Because of this crew?" Neo looked at him.

"Maybe being around pirates, the right type of pirates, will help get your crystals back?" Kailen offered.

"I highly doubt it," Neo said. "But we're here. Might as well make the best of it. If that's at all possible." She took another bite of soup. "So let's see we already know three of their names."

"Four," Kailen said. "A man named Conner was on the sub when you were in surgery. The one who delivered my letter and got our clothes."

"Too bad he didn't run into our bear friend. So Conner, Shachi, Penguin, Trafalgar Law," Neo said. "I wonder how many more there are."

"There's a total of fifteen members right now," Kailen said.

"How do you know that?" Neo asked.

"A couple of them have been in and out of the room since we've been here," Kailen said. "I tried to gather some information on them when I could. I didn't get much though."

Neo nodded. It was understandable. Not many pirates just spilled out everything about them, especially in a position like this.

They finished their meal in silence and waited for whoever was going to come and get the dishes.

"Good. You've finished eating," Law said as he and the bear Kailen told her about walked into the room. "Bepo will take them away for you."

Neo's eyebrows rose on her forehead at the sight of the bear. He was wearing the same outfit as his sub mates but it was orange. Good thing too. If he worn that beige color then his fur would blend in far too much. No one would notice he was there.

"I'm going to take your dishes now," Bepo said. "If that's okay."

"It's fine." Kailen held out the tray.

Bepo reached for it. His eyes locked onto Neo.

Neo's eyes locked onto him. A small bubble of joy threatened to float up to her lips when his nose twitched. "You really can talk."

"I'm sorry." Bepo ducked his head.

"What as that for?" Kailen asked.

"He's so cute," Neo said. Her fingers twitched with desire to reach out and stroke the bear's fur.

"That will be all, Bepo," Law said. "I have something I need to discuss with them."

"Aye." Bepo took the tray and left the room.

Neo's bubble of joy popped.

"Don't worry. He'll be back at some point," Law said.

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks. There were times she really hated that she was easy to read. "What do you want?"

"Since you're going to be sailing on my sub I need to give you two a physical," Law said.

"Excuse me?" Neo frowned.

"It's necessary," Law said. "I give it to everyone who sails with us."

"It's not like this is our choice," Neo said.

"Doesn't matter," Law said. "If you do not comply then I will have no choice but to quarantine you two in the brig."

"Just do it," Neo said. "We're your prisoners anyway."

"It's not necessary as long as you comply with my orders," Law said.

Neo snorted. "We're not part of your crew. Why should we?"  
"It's still my sub," Law said. "And while you're sailing with us you are going to be under my care. I'm still the captain here whether you're on my crew or not."

"You mean control, _Captain,_ " Neo said.

"Call it what you will," Law said. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice, Miss Neo."

Neo opened her mouth to reply but Kailen cut her off by saying, "We'll listen to you. You don't have to worry about that. And we'll comply to the exams."

"Kailen!" Neo said.

Kailen ignored her.

"Good," Law said with a nod. "I'll do yours right now. Miss Neo will have hers later when she's feeling better."

"Wonder," Neo grumbled.

"This won't take long, will it?" Kailen asked.

"It won't," Law said. "And we're just going to the next room. You won't be far from your sister. No harm will come to her."

"I'm not worried," Neo said.

"Of course not." Law smirked.

Neo bristled. His smirk was a challenge. Or a way of telling her he didn't believe her. She wasn't sure. All she knew was she was frustrated with how this man got them onto his sub.

"Shall we go?" Law asked.

Kailen looked at Neo.

"Good." Neo sighed. "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about here at all."

Kailen nodded. He got up and followed Law out of the room.

…

"Your sister's rather spunky," Law said leading Kailen into the room he spoke of.

"Yeah," Kailen said. "She can get like that from time to time."

"Spunkiness can help a person survive but it can also get them into trouble," Law said stepping over to the sink. Turning on the water he washed his hands.

"She knows how to handle herself," Kailen said. "She'll be fine."

"Like she knew how to handle that pirate back on Brazen?" Law turned off the water and dried his hands.

"That man had been giving her issues before," Kailen said. "And she was ganged up on. Remember?"

"Of course. I was there after all." Law opened a filing cabinet, pulling out the necessary papers and tools he would need. Gathering them all on a tray he sat it down on the exam table. "Let's get your height and weight first. Remove your shoes and step upon the scale.

Kailen did as he was told.

Law moved the scale weights around until he got the results. "One fifty. And your height is six two. You can sit now."

Kailen sat upon the exam table.

"Kailen." Law scribbled his name at the top of the chart. "Last name?"

"Don't have one," Kailen said. "No one on our island does."

"Interesting." Law sat down in his chair. "So do you have any illnesses or allergies I need to know about?"

"No," Kailen said.

"Have you been sick recently?"

"No."

Law scribbled down his answers as he said them. He then put his stethoscope in his ears and stood up. He checked Kailen's heart and stomach before moving around to his back. "Deep breath. Again. Again. Again. Okay." Picking up the file he scribbled the results down before moving on to draw some blood. He moved the pillow onto his patient's lap. "Give me your arm."

"Sure." Kailen placed his arm over the pillow.

"You seem a lot calmer than your sister," Law said while inserting the needle into Kailen's skin.

"That a problem?" Kailen asked.

"Just an observation," Law said. Pulling the needle out he placed a cotton ball over the wound.

"I'm adopted if that's what you're thinking," Kailen said.

"It wasn't," Law said while he continued to check Kailen over. "But that's good to know for future medical references. Well, you seem to be in good condition. You're skin is healthy. You're at a good weight for someone of your height."

Kailen nodded. "Need anything else?"

"If I do I'll let you know," Law said. "You're free to go."

…

"So I hear that little girl kicked you," Conner said sitting down at a table in the galley.

"She did," Penguin replied sending a glare at Shachi for telling everyone about that.

"What?" Shachi shrugged. "Everyone would have figured it out eventually."

"Was she really that strong? Did she really about knock you off your feet?" Archer asked.

Penguin sighed. "She didn't about knock me off my feet. She only knocked me back a foot or two. So, yes, she's that strong."

"It's so hard to believe," Conner said. "She's so tiny."

"Well, it happened," Penguin said. Pulling his ladle from the stew he tasted it to see how it was. "Can we move on?"

"I'm just curious as to the captain's motives about them," Archer said. "Do you think he's wanting to use them to take down you know who?"

"You can say his name, Archer," Conner said. "It's not like that man is listening to us."

"Like you're saying his name," Archer said.

"Doflamingo." Conner smirked.

"Fine," Archer said. "But what if he's listening? What if they were sent by him?"

"If they were sent by Doflamingo then they would have been doing what they could to get on our sub," Conner said. "Use your brain. They were trying to avoid the captain."

"I am! I'm asking questions to try and figure them out!" Archer slammed his fists on the table.

"Well, it's not working," Conner said. "You're way off track."

"I think I'm most curious about why they smell like nature," Shachi said.

"That has been bothering me too," Conner said.

"If it wasn't for the captain saying that I wouldn't have believed you two," Archer said.

"Just shut up!" Conner and Shachi snapped.

"What? You two have told tall tales before," Archer said.

"This one isn't a tall tale," Bepo said walking into the room. "They do smell like nature. It's been on the sub since they were brought here. There's also a very sweet scent in the air."

"Sweet?" Conner cocked an eyebrow. "Perfume?"

"No." Bepo shook his head. "It's not perfume. Perfume has never smells like this. It's different."

"So what or who are they?" Archer asked.

"I guess we'll see eventually," Shachi said. "The captain's clearly not going to let them go any time soon."

"Who do you think they're seeking on Sabaody?" Archer asked.

"Who knows? They only said they were looking for their godfather," Conner said.

"Maybe he's a pirate," Shachi said.

"Or maybe he's a marine," Archer said. "We should be careful. We could be walking into a trap."

"You and your conspiracy theories. Get over that already," Conner said. "They're not after the captain or us. They just want to get to Sabaody to fix her powers or whatever they are."

"Possibly," Archer said. "But you never can tell with people. We should keep a very close eye on them."

Penguin focused back on the stew in front of him. He knew Archer's theories were wrong. Those two people in the medical bay weren't after them or the captain. And he was fairly sure they weren't looking to take them down when they got to Sabaody. If that were their goal then Kailen wouldn't have been asking _everyone_ where their destination was. They only wanted to find their godfather to help Neo as the captain had told them. He placed his hand on his stomach. His mind wondered back to when she kicked him and a little before that. His captain had order him to check on them to make sure everything was all right. Everything was, until he started to leave the room. That's when Neo started talking in her sleep. Walking back to her he found her face was tense from a bad dream. She kept calling out for her mom and asking her to come back. Then her hand rose into the air like she was reaching for her mom. He had taken her hand before he thought about it. Then she woke up and kicked him. He didn't and wouldn't hold it against her. She was scared and drowsy from the surgery. Still he wondered what exactly she was dreaming about. And if it had anything to do with her being unable to use her crystals.


	11. Polar Tang

Polar Tang

With her patient gown rolled up to her chest, Neo sat still and stiff. From the corner of her eyes she watched Law's every move. It seemed he was moving as slow as a turtle unwrapping the bandages around her torso just to torture her.

"There's nothing for you to be so tense about," Law said finally revealing her stomach.

"You're not the one being ogled by a complete stranger," Neo said.

"Miss Neo, I am not ogling you," Law said. "I'm checking your wound."

Neo sniffed.

"You could be a little nicer," Law said. "I did save your life after all."

Neo twitched. She hated to admit it but he did have a point. That wound could have killed her. But at the same time he had imprisoned her and her brother on his sub and was holding her medallion hostage. Despite the desire to be stubborn with him, she said, "Fine. You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just…not myself. And all the stuff you've pulled doesn't make it any easier."

"Your brother said you two were going through a hard time," Law said.

"We are," Neo said. She tugged on the chain still bound to her wrist. "And this isn't helping either. How about you take it off? This recover room is boring to look at."

"Well, have to see. It's barely been a week since your surgery." Law hummed.

"What?" Neo looked at him, noticing a look of confusion on his face. "Something wrong?"

"No," Law said. "In fact everything looks good. Really good."

Neo tensed when he brushed his fingers tips over her torso, around her scar.

"This wound should be this healed," Law said.

Neo looked at the cut on her stomach. She really couldn't tell how it should look. The scar was brighter than the rest of her skin. She jumped when she noticed Law studying at her face. "I'm a fast healer."

"Apparently so," Law said. "Well, since you're feeling so good I'll go ahead and get your physical done now."

"Lucky me." Neo rolled down the gown.

"Let's go." Law stood up, unlocked her from the chain, and headed for the door.

Neo slipped off the bed. Her stomach tensed at the movement but there was only dull pain. Stepping into the hall she found him entering into a room one door down. Looking the other way she saw the stairs.

"You coming?" Law asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Neo turned from the stairs and entered into the room. "Just wondering where my brother was."

"Taking a shower I believe," Law said. "He said it's been a while."

"Yeah," Neo mumbled.

"You'll probably want one as well," Law said.

"That a problem?" Neo asked.

"No," Law said gathering up the necessary items for her physical. "You're healed enough that a shower won't hurt. But you shouldn't take a bath until your wound is completely healed. I don't want you to get an infection."

"How sweet of you," Neo said rolling her eyes.

"Sarcasm isn't necessary, Miss Neo." Law smirked at her from over his shoulder.

"You seem to bring that out in me." Neo crossed her arms.

"Let's get your height and weight," Law said placing the tray of gathered items on the exam table. "Up on the scale."

Neo stepped upon it. Her eyes locked onto the weights the captain was moving around.

"Only a ninety pounds?" Law asked.

"That a problem?"

"It could be. How has your diet been?"

"Lousy," Neo said figuring there was no point in lying to a doctor. He probably would figure it out anyway with blood tests she figured he would do.

"And why is that?" Law asked lifting up the measuring arm from the scales.

"Trauma. Remember?" Neo said.

"You'll need to put on more weight if you don't want to get sick," Law said.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Neo said. "But I've always been small. My average weigh is a hundred pounds."

"You'll need to get back to that then. You're five foot seven it looks," Law said before writing the results down in her file. "Sit on the table."

Neo jumped off the scale before pushing herself up on the exam table. She kicked her legs while waiting for Law. A few seconds later he placed his stethoscope to her chest. Her body tensed at his closeness. She cursed herself for reacting that way. Despite the events that brought them to this place she didn't feel like he was an immediate threat to her.

"Relax. I need to listen to your heart," Law said.

Neo exhaled, calming her nerves.

Law then listened to her lungs. "Breath deeply for me."

Neo drew in a breath.

"Again. Again. Again. And once more. Good. You're lungs are clear." He moved to her stomach. "Not much noise. But nothing to worry about. Let's check your reflexes." He sat down in a chair and lifted a small hammer off the tray.

Neo watched as he tapped it on her knees. Her legs kicked out.

"Good reflexes." Law scribbled it down. "Now some questions. When was your last period?"

"A week ago," Neo said.

"Any problems with it?"

"No."

"Have you had sex recently?"

"Is this really necessary?"

"It is." Law paused and looked at her. "I won't be responsible for the death of a child."

"Then no need to worry. I've never been pregnant. And if you must know, I've never had sex before. I'm a virgin," Neo said.

Law nodded and wrote on the file again.

Neo sighed but gracefully continued to answer any questions he had for her. Several questions later they ended and he picked up a needle to draw some blood. "Are we done yet?"  
"We are," Law said pulling the needle from her arm. "You can go back to the recovery room."

"I'd rather take a shower," Neo said.

Law didn't answer her right away. After a minute he said, "Fine. I'll make the arrangement. Go wait in the recovery room."

"Make arrangements?" Neo asked.

"You'll need an escort until you get familiar with the sub," Law said.

"So I'm no longer going to be chained up?" Neo asked.

"That's up to you," Law said. "Cause any trouble and the chains will go back on. Behave and that won't happen."

"Fine. I'll be a good little girl," Neo said slipping off the exam table. Sauntering down the hall she found herself wanting to go anywhere but back into that room. Only a week has passed and she was already growing tired and bored of seeing it all the time. Still she went back inside it and sat down on the bed. Minutes passed before someone finally came for her. Her heart jumped when she found it was the bear.

"The captain told me you were wanting a shower," he said.

"That's right." Neo slid off the bed and grabbed her bag off the floor. "I take it you're my guard?"

"If you want to call me that." Bepo nodded. "My name's Bepo though."

"I prefer to call you cute," Neo said.

Bepo blushed.

A twinge of happiness sparked in Neo's chest. She mumbled, "Maybe being around this crew won't be such a bad thing."

"What was that?" Bepo asked.

"Nothing," Neo said. "Shall we get on with it?"

Bepo nodded.

Neo followed him into the hall. The closer she got to the stairs she noticed a strange pipe mounted on the wall. "What's that?"

"Huh? Oh, that's the voice pipe. They're on all the floors, some in multiple locations," Bepo said. "We use them to talk to the crew so we don't have to run up and down the stairs all the time."

"Sounds lazy," Neo said.

"Maybe a little bit. But there are a total of six floors on the sub," Bepo said. "That's a lot of stairs to walk up and down."

"If you say so," Neo said.

"Anyway, as you might have already guessed this is floor zero. It's where the medical bay is located," Bepo said. "That door there at the end leads to the small deck."

Neo glanced down the hall and wondered how she didn't spot that door before. Turning away from it she followed him down the stairs.

"And this is the first floor or the main floor," Bepo said stepping off the last step. "There're some storage areas here but not much to look at. The main door is over there. It leads to the main deck. And the devices you see on the ceiling contain the sail for our mast. The controls are in the control room which we'll get to later."

"So why a submarine?" Neo asked following Bepo on down to the next floor while noticing a ramp was also going along the stairs. She figured it was for loading and unloading crates.

"It's what the captain wanted," Bepo said. "It moves a lot faster than normal pirate ships. And we can sail underwater. That's handy for escaping enemies. Though personally I hate it when we submerge. It gets too hot in here."

Neo eyed his fur and his boiler suit. "Makes sense. You have a fur coat and wearing that outfit. No way you can be cool in it all the time."

"The suit's not bad until we stay under water for several days," Bepo said.

"Then why get on a submarine?" Neo asked.

"The captain saved me when we were younger," Bepo said.

"Saved you?" Neo stopped walking. She wasn't the first then.

Bepo stopped and turned back to her. "I was being picked on by Shachi and Penguin when I was younger. He came and stopped them."

"Shachi and Penguin? Your shipmates?" Neo blinked.

"That's right. But its all forgotten and forgiven now," Bepo said.

"Glad to hear that. It would be hard to sail with someone you held a grudge against," Neo said. "So why did you want to become a pirate?"

"To pay back the captain for helping me." Bepo continued on down the stairs. "I'm also looking for my brother."

"Brother," Neo said.

"I have an older brother," Bepo said. "He left our home when I was just a kid. I became a navigator so I could look for him."

"I'm sorry. Must be hard not knowing where he is or how he's doing," Neo said.

"It is," Bepo said. "I'm sure he's fine though. He's tough."

"I hope so," Neo said.

"And this is the second floor," Bepo said. "Mostly this floor is storage, but the laundry room and the captain's quarters are on this floor."

Neo expected him to continue on down the next set of stairs but the bear turn to his right and headed down the hall. She followed him. Confusion set in when he opened a door. She followed him inside. Looking around she found a closet and a book-covered desk to her left and a bed and another door on her right.

"Who's room is this?" she asked.

"The captain's," Bepo said.

"What? Why am I here?" Neo stared at him.

"Because the captain doesn't want you using the crew's bath. Our crew won't hurt you at all if you do. He just doesn't want them to see you while bathing. He thought you'd prefer your privacy anyway. We have no other women on the sub after all," Bepo said.

"I guess that makes sense," Neo said. "But if I were to use your bathroom Kailen would stand outside the door to make sure no one came in. So it really won't matter."

"This is what the captain wants. I'm sorry." Bepo ducked his head.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," Neo said. "And I'm under your captain's control."

"No you're not," Bepo said. "It's really not like that."

"Yes, it is." Neo sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Neo forced a smile. "At least we're getting closer to Sabaody this way."

"I'll wait out here for you," Bepo said. "We'll continue the tour after you shower."

Neo nodded then headed for the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she looked around. Her eyes widened when she found a bathtub to her left and a shower near the end of it in the corner. "Well, that's a surprise. He doesn't strike me as the type to take baths at all."

Her mind wondered. Tilting her head she envisioned him lying in the tub with his head back against the wall, his skin and tattoos dripping with water. Her eyes trailed down his chest, trying to figure out what it actually looked like and if he had any more tattoos on his body. Her heart jumped. Shaking her head she turned away from the tub to find herself staring into a mirror over the sink. Her cheeks were flushed. "You've got to be kidding me. Why am I embarrassed? Why did I even think about him like that? Sheesh." She scratched her head. "What drugs did he give me when I was passed out?"

With a frustrated growl she placed her bag on the sink and started to strip her clothes off. She slipped her hand back into her bag for her shower supplies, finding them just about empty. "Just great. I guess I have to use what he has here. I forgot that I was almost out. I didn't buy anymore yet."

Stepping over to the shower she turned on the water and waited until the water was to her liking before stepping inside. A relaxed sigh escaped her lips when the hot water ran over her body. "So nice. It's been so long since I've had a real shower. Sailing with them might not be all that bad. At least we don't have to sneak back into Gaven's restaurant and clean up in the sink. That was terrible."

Without shampoo of her own she reached for his. It was a plan white bottle. Pour some in her palm she found it had a light sweet scent. She worked it into her hair, lathering it nice and fluffy before rinsing it out. Moving on she skipped conditioner since he didn't have any and lather up her body. The soap didn't have much of a scent either but she was still thankful for it. After rinsing off she turned the water off, stepped out, and grabbed the towel off the rack. The fibers were soft, almost as soft as her silk gowns back on Luminous. She sighed. Images of her home flashed through her mind. "Just be patient. We'll find Godfather soon."

She wrung out her hair before putting the towel back on the rack. Once she had her clothes back on she left the bathroom. "Sorry. I hope I didn't take too long."

"Not at all," Bepo said pushing off the wall he was leaning against.

"I had to use your captain's shampoo and soap," Neo said. "I didn't have enough left."

"He won't mind," Bepo said.

"Are you sure? I can pay him back for it once we stop at an island," Neo said. "I need to get more anyway."

"I'm sure." Bepo nodded. "But if you want to pay him back you're free to do so."

"I will then," Neo said shifting her bag's shoulder strap. "So where to next?"

"I'll show you the lower floors," Bepo said holding out his paw. "Here let me carry your bag for you."

"Thanks. But it's not necessary," Neo said. "It's not heavy."

"I know. But I want to," Bepo said.

"Well, if you really want to." When he nodded she handed her bag over. They left the room and went on downstairs.

"This is the third floor," Bepo said pointing to his right. "Down that way is the crew's quarters, the rec. room, more storage rooms, and the crew's bath." He pointed the other way. "And the galley is in that room at the end."

"Galley," Neo said. "That's the kitchen, right?"

"That's right," Bepo said.

Neo hummed in thought. Maybe she could cook once in a while, that is if she actually felt like it. Working in the restaurant was hard enough on her emotions. She didn't once feel like cooking the whole time.

"And here's the fourth floor," Bepo said as they reached it. "More storage, the brig, some maintenance rooms, and the training room."

"You have a lot of stuff on this sub," Neo said.

"And it's all necessary," Bepo said. "The captain had it built to his specifications."

"Really?" Neo glanced up at him.

"Didn't you notice where the captain's quarters was?" Bepo asked.

"Not really," Neo said.

"His room is just below the main deck and one floor above the crew," Bepo explained. "He's a fairly light sleeper. If anyone snuck onto the sub then he would notice them and take care of them before they even got to our rooms."

"Wow," Neo said. "I never would have noticed. That makes a lot of sense. Well, if he's strong enough to take anyone on who comes in here."

"He's strong." Bepo nodded. "You'll see how strong soon enough."

Neo only nodded in response before following him down to the next floor.

"And this is the fifth floor," Bepo said. "Down here is the sub's engines, the control room, and my navigation room."

"Navigation room? Would it be all right if I see it?" Neo asked.

"Sure." Bepo lead her down the hall and into a room.

"A bit messier than I pictured." Neo scanned her eyes around the room. Several maps and other papers were piled all over the shelves and table. Stepping up to the table she looked at one of the maps. It looked like a child had drawn it with a crayon. "This one of your maps?"

"Yeah. I'm not the best," Bepo said.

"I think it's cute," Neo said. "And as long as it gets you where you need to go then it's a successful map."

"Would you like to see the control room?" Bepo asked.

"I would." Neo nodded. They left the room. Several flashing lights and beeps greeted them the closer they got to the end of the hall. Stepping inside the room she found the source of the lights and beeps were coming from the control panel. A man was sitting at the controls in front of a large rounded window.

"Huh?" The man looked back at them. "I assume this is one of our guests?"  
"Yeah. Neo this is Archer," Bepo said. "He's the one who's usually in control of the sub."

"Nice to meet you." Archer smiled.

"Yeah. You too," Neo said, unsure of how she really felt about meeting people here. She stepped over to the controls to get a closer look at them.

"Would you like me to tell you what it all does?" Archer asked.

"I'm afraid I won't understand," Neo said. "We don't have things like this on my home island."

"That's a shame," Archer said. "Submarines are an amazing invention. How about a rain check? If you're here long enough I might show you how to pilot this baby. She handles great."

"I'll take your word for that," Neo said.

"I'm not being biased," Archer said. "The Polar Tang is the best sub you'll ever see."

"Polar Tang, huh?" Neo asked.

"Captain named her himself," Archer said.

"Figures," Neo said. "He is the captain after all. So what now?"

"You can do whatever you want," Bepo said before scanning his eyes over her body. His black eyes stopped on her stomach. "Has he cleared you from the medical bay?"

"Not in so many words." Neo twisted a strain of her hair. "But I'm growing rather bored of that place. Besides I'm feeling fine. I don't have much pain either."

"Well, you do know your body better than anyone," Archer said. "But the captain is really good at his job. You should listen to him. If he wants you to stay in the medical bay then you should."

Neo shrugged. "So do you have any books to read aboard?"

"We have a few books but none of the crew are very big readers," Bepo said. "Well, except for the captain. He has a ton of medical books."

"Great." Neo wrinkled her nose. "Not my favorite. Too many big words I have to always look up. Though Kailen might enjoy them."

"Why's that?" Archer asked.

"He's a healer," Neo said. "Back home he delivers babies."

"That's cool," Archer said. "He and the captain might find some common ground in the medical field."

"Don't count on it," Neo mumbled. In a louder tone she asked, "So how often do you take the sub underwater?"

"Too much," Bepo said.

"Ignore him," Archer said. "He hates going underwater. We don't actually do it all that much. Mostly when we need to escape from an enemy. It's the quickest way to get away from them."

Neo nodded, wondering if they were going to submerge while she and her brother were onboard. A large presence of a sea king filtered into her mind before she could react. It slammed up against the side of the sub. Her body went flying towards the wall. She tried to summon her crystals, forgetting that she couldn't. Her mind blanked out. She could cause more harm to her body if she hit the wall. Her eyes snapped shut, expecting the hard hit. But it didn't happen. She fell into something soft instead. Opening her eyes, she looked to find herself being held against Bepo's stomach.

"You okay?" Bepo asked.

"Uh. Yeah." Neo nodded.

"What was that?" Bepo asked.

"I'm not sure," Archer said.

"Sea king," Neo said.

"How do you know that?" Archer asked before the sub was rocked again by another hit.

"Huh?" Bepo said.

"What is it?" Neo looked up at the bear when she felt the bear growing confused. "What's wrong?"

"You smell…"

"I just took a shower," Neo said trying to steer this conversation away from where it was going.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Bepo said. "I mean you smell like nature."

Neo's heart leaped into her throat. He knew.

The sub rocked again.

"Ack! It is a sea king!" Archer screamed.

Bepo and Neo turned their attention to the large window. They saw the end of the sea king's tail as it swam by. Neo blinked. More sea kings come into her mind, only a lot smaller than the first one.

Archer jumped up from his seat. He grabbed the voice pipe on the wall. "Captain! A sea king is attacking the sub!"

"Right. I'll handle it from here," Law said.

"Handle it? What's he going to do?" Neo asked.

"Kill it," Archer said.

"What?! He can't do that!" Neo said. Scrambling off Bepo, she dashed for the door.

"Neo!" Bepo called.

"Where's she going?" Archer asked. "Maybe you should follow her?"  
"Right!" Bepo leaped up and ran out of the room.

…

Neo scrambled up the stairs, doing her best not to get tossed around with each thrash the sea king did against the sub.

"Neo!" Kailen called out. "Wait up!"

"Kailen, where have you been?" Neo asked.

"Getting a tour of the sub myself," Kailen said. "Do you feel that sea king?"

"Yeah. I have to get to the deck," Neo said. "That captain guy is going to kill it."

"Just great," Kailen said. "But take it easy. You're still injured."

"I'm fine." Neo winced but continued to race up the stairs. Finally she reached the main floor. The door was open and some pirates were scattered near the door. She bolted past them before they could react.

"Hey! Wait! Don't go out there!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"The captain will handle the sea king!"

Neo didn't stop. She raced out on the deck to find Law swiping his sword at the serpent. Her feet slapped against the wet deck as she ran over to him. She grabbed onto his arm before he could swing again. "Stop it! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What are _you_ doing? Let go!" Law said.

"No!" Neo glared at him. "You can't kill her! She has babies!"

"What are you talking about?! That thing is attacking the sub! Any natural reaction would be to kill it!" Law said.

"You don't have to!" Neo shouted before looking at the serpent. "Please, stop attacking! We didn't mean to disturb you and your babies!"

"Babies?" Law asked.

The serpent paused, the sea followed shortly after.

"I'm sorry! We didn't mean any harm to you or your babies!" Neo said. "Please, take them and go! I won't let this man attack you again!"

"Are you insane?!" Law asked. "Do you really think that thing will listen to you?! It's a mindless monster!"

"Please! Just go!" Neo said.

"Let go of me!" Law started to pull his arm free of her grip.

"Captain! Look! It's leaving!"

Law glanced up just in time to see the serpent disappear under the water. "It left?"

"Of course it did," Neo said. "She was only defending her babies."

"But how did you know it had babies?"

Neo turned to find Shachi had asked that question. Penguin was also out on the deck now. Only then did she realize they were the ones calling for her to leave the sea king up to their captain.

"How did you do that?" Law asked.

Neo flinched. Her mind raced with an answer since she couldn't tell him the truth. "Well, it's an animal like any other. They can tell if you're good or bad."

"How did you know it was a female with babies?" Law asked.

"Because…I saw them out the window in the control room," Neo lied.

Law knitted his eyebrows with a frown.

Neo swallowed. Clearly she wasn't convincing him.

"It must be true, Captain," Bepo then said. "We saw the sea king. Her babies must not have been far behind her."

"Fine. I'll accept that answer for now. You can release me," Law said.

"Sorry." Neo let him go.

"But how did you know it would listen to you?" Law slid his sword back into its sheath.

"Well, like I already said. Animals know if you're good or bad," Neo said. "She knew I wasn't going to hurt her. So of course she listened to me."

"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard," Law said.

Scowling, Neo crossed her arms over her chest. "Then how would you explain it?"

Tension settled over the deck. The pirates tensed up, waiting to see what their captain was going to do.

Law cocked his head. "You are quite the interesting woman, Miss Neo. But I advise you to tread lightly while you're on my sub. I am the captain after all. I don't tolerate anyone ordering me around."

"I don't care," Neo said. "Just because you are the captain doesn't give you the right to kill anything that moves."

"It does if it attacks my sub," Law said leaning in closer to her. "And you would do well to remember that."

Neo held her ground. There was no way she was going to let this man intimidate her. He was just a pirate. Another pirate that wasn't worth the money his bounty was posted as.

"Get back to the medical bay," Law said.

"No," Neo said.

"Uh, Neo," Bepo said. "It would be best to listen to him."

"I don't have to," Neo said.

Law smirked.

Neo bristled. "What?"

"You're quite different from any other woman I've met before," Law said.

"Lucky you then," Neo said.

Law stood up straight. With his free hand in his pocket he headed back into the sub.

"What?" Neo asked when she turned to the rest of the pirates remained on the deck. They were staring at her in disbelief.

"You're amazing," Shachi said.

"Or she's crazy," Penguin said.

"You're definitely not like any other women we've ran across," Bepo said.

"What does that mean exactly?" Neo asked.

"All the women who've come around the captain is either afraid of him or thinks he's God's gift to women," Shachi said.

"Well, I guarantee that I will be neither of those types," Neo said. "If other women want to drool over him or cower in fear of him then they are free to do so."

"You're not short on bravery that's for sure," Shachi said.

"You can thank our godfather for that," Kailen said. "He taught us both to stand up for ourselves." He looked at Neo. "Let's go back inside now."

"I'd rather stay out here," Neo said.

"Not now," Kailen said. "You can come out here when you're feeling better."

"Fine." Neo huffed and walked inside the sub. "But I'm _not_ going back to that recovery room."

"Why don't we go down to the rec. room for a while?" Bepo asked.

"Will you be coming?" Neo looked at him.

"Sure." Bepo nodded. "I've nothing else to do right now."

"Then let's go," Neo said.

"Sounds like someone has a favorite already," Shachi said.

Neo mentally smirked. Of course the bear was going to be her favorite. He was an animal after all. The two elementals made their way back downstairs and into the room they were aiming for. Her eyes went right to the bookshelf. Only ten books were lying around it but it was ten more she didn't have. "You have books in here."

"A few." Bepo nodded.

Neo was over to the books in a few split seconds. Plucking one off the shelf she sat down on the couch and opened it.

"You're free to read them if you want. Though I'm not sure if they'll be anything you like," Bepo continued to say. "Um, Neo?"

"She's gone," Kailen said.

"She loves reading that much?" Bepo looked at the man.

"She does." Kailen nodded. "She'll read just about anything she can get her hands on."

"We'll have to get more books then," Bepo said. "All the others are the captain's medical books."

"Don't go to the trouble on our account," Kailen said. "We're only sailing with you until we get to Sabaody."

"It's still going to take us months to get there," Bepo said. "She'll need more to read since there's not much else on the sub to do."

"Well, we'll see," Kailen said.

…

Neo stepped into the galley. In just a few short hours she had read half of the books in the rec. room. She found her mouth and throat dry so she placed her sixth book down to find something to drink. Kailen had left the room at some point. She sensed him one floor down but didn't bother going after him. Reaching the galley her jaw dropped open. If she still weren't so moody and depressed she would have fell in love with it at first sight. There was so much counter space to use, more than they had back home but not as big as the castle kitchen. Still she was impressed. The fridge was impressively big as well and plenty of storage space.

"Oh, Neo," Penguin said when he came up from behind the island counter and into her view with a couple of tomatoes in his hands. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You're the cook?" Neo asked.

"I am. At least for the time being," Penguin said. "We've talked about adding an actual cook to the crew at some point. We just haven't found anyone yet. Besides, I'm decent enough to get the job done." A pause. "Did you need something?"  
"No," Neo said forgetting about her thirst. "I was just looking around a bit more. Bepo showed me all the floors but we didn't come in here."

"Oh." Penguin nodded before turning to the stove.

"So what are you cooking?" Neo asked.

"Grilled fish and onigiri," Penguin said. "It's the captain's favorite."

"Does he decide all the meals?" Neo asked.

"In a way," Penguin said. "Being the doctor he is he wants his crew to eat well balanced meals."

"Figures," Neo said. "He seems rather controlling."

"Maybe a little bit but he does what's best for the crew," Penguin said.

Neo sat down at one of the many rectangular tables lined up in the room. Resting her chin in the palm of her hands, she watched Penguin form the rice into balls.

"Just so you know we don't waste food around here," Penguin said.

"I know," Neo said. "I might not be a pirate but I'm aware of how things are on the sea."

"I take it you know someone who sails the sea?" Penguin asked.

"I know plenty of people who do," Neo said.

"Well, that's good," Penguin said before silence fell between them.

Neo took the time to study the man before her. She couldn't decide if he was being friendly because his captain brought her and her brother onto the sub or if he was just this way. She did kick him when she woke up. Surely he had to be upset with her about that. But if he was he didn't show it. Still she needed to apologize. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Penguin paused and looked at her.

"For kicking you," Neo said. "I really didn't mean it. You just startled me."

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to," Penguin said. "You appeared to be having a bad dream. You were reaching out for someone. I mean your mother."

Neo's nightmare flashed through her mind. Apparently she was literally reaching for her mother in her sleep. And she had called out for her.

"Want to talk about it?" Penguin asked.

"No," Neo said.

"Your choice," Penguin said.

"Would it be alright if I got myself something to drink?" Neo asked her dry throat reminding her why she was here.

"Sure. The glasses and cups are in the top cabinet next to the fridge," Penguin said. "We have some sweet tea, unsweet tea, water, and I think there's still some juice left from breakfast."

"Thanks." Neo stood up and walked over to the fridge. After pulling herself out a cup she poured herself some sweet tea before sitting back down at the table. A few minutes passed before she sensed Kailen coming towards the galley.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Kailen said.

"I guess," Neo said.

"Drinks are in the fridge," Penguin said. "Cups and glasses in the upper cabinet beside it. Food will be ready soon."

"Thanks." Kailen walked over to the fridge and got him some juice before sitting with Neo.

Ten minutes later Penguin started placing the food on the table.

"Need some help?" Kailen asked.

"No, thanks," Penguin said. "I'm good."

The pirates started filing into the galley. Neo watched them sit around the room. Her mind drifted to the captain, without her permission. It questioned where he normally sat. Unfortunately she got her answer when he came in and sat beside her at the head of the table to her left. Tension filled the room. It was clear the pirates were still nervous about what happened between herself and their captain on the deck.

"Enjoying yourself, Miss Neo?" Law asked.

"Really?" Neo frowned. "Must I remind you, again, that we're prisoners on your sub?"

Law only smirked in response before pulling a piece of fish to his plate. The tension ebbed away. Tame chatter filled the room as the pirates and elementals ate.

Neo picked at a rice ball, nibbling it every now and then.

"Don't you like fish, Neo?" Bepo asked.

"Sorry," Neo said. "We're not big on eating meat."

"So you're vegetarians? Both of you?" Conner asked.

"I don't know if I would call us that," Kailen said. "We have eaten meat before. It's just not a main dish on our island."

"Besides your captain has put me on a strict diet." Neo nodded to Law. "I wouldn't want to upset him anymore than I already have."

Law frowned. "I am not upset, Miss Neo. I only think you acted very recklessly today. That sea king could have sunk us."

"A bit hypocritical coming from a pirate, don't you think?" Neo fluttered her eyelashes and smiled. "Or have you not pulled a single reckless moment in your life?"

Conner whistled. "She is brave. Or stupid."

"You can call me whatever you wish." Neo shrugged. "I'll stand up for what I believe either way. And I will act when I feel the need to."

"You're free to do as you wish, Miss Neo," Law said. "But out here on the sea things can be very unpredictable. Watch yourself."

"You don't have to worry about me," Neo said.

"It's not you I'm concerned about," Law said. "I don't want your recklessness causing trouble for my crew. If you bring harm to them at all I will throw you into the brig myself."

Neo glared. "If you think you can intimidate me into-"

"Neo, enough," Kailen said. "While we might be prisoners here this but man did save your life. There's no need to fight with him at very turn."

Neo ducked her head. "Sorry."

"Forgive her," Kailen said to Law. "Like I've said before, we're going through a hard time right now. She's not normally like this."

Law nodded. Several minutes of tense silence passed over the room before he spoke again. "After you finish eating I've instructed Bepo to show you to the room you'll be sleeping in. I take it you're close enough to share a room?"  
"Yes. In fact we prefer it," Kailen said.

"And my bath is always open to you, Miss Neo," Law said. "Feel free to use it whenever you wish."

"So I've already been told," Neo said.

"If you two are finished we can go now," Bepo said.

"Fine with me." Neo stood up leaving her uneaten onigiri behind.

"You need to finish eating," Law said. "Wasting food isn't tolerated on this sub."

"My stomach hurts too much to eat. You eat it." Neo glared at him before leaving the room.

Law frowned. The crew tensed.

"I'll finish it." Kailen grabbed the rice balls and followed the two out of the room.

They past a couple doors before the bear finally stopped at one.

"This will be your room," Bepo said opening the door.

They all stepped inside. On both sides of the room were the beds, four total, mounted into the wall with two drawers underneath them all. At the back of the room were two closets and a desk.

"I hope this will be fine," Bepo said. "It's kind of on the small size."

"It's fine, Bepo," Neo said. "Besides it's only for sleeping."

Bepo nodded.

"Where's your room?" Neo asked.

"Next door down," Bepo said. "You can come see me anytime you want. I don't have a roommate for now."

"I'll keep that in mind," Neo said.

"I also already put both your bags in the closet," Bepo said. "I figured you two wouldn't be going back to the medical bay now."

"Thanks," Kailen said.

"I'll let you two get settled in then," Bepo said. "Breakfast is at six thirty."

Neo waved to him as he left.

…

Law watched as Neo left the room with her brother and his navigator. His emotions were divided into finding her amusing and annoying. The only thing he could settle on was she was definitely something new. Never before had he met a woman like her. Women either feared him or lusted after him, she did nether. But then this was the only time he's had a woman on his sub. And as a prisoner. Feeling his subordinates watching him, he stood up and left the room. He found himself wondering to his room. Closing the door behind him he sat at his desk and opened a book. He read one page before his mind wondered back to Neo. She was a feisty one. And one that healed remarkably fast. He would love to study her more. None of the tests he did with her blood revealed anything out of the normal. But he knew she wasn't normal. He just didn't know what that actually meant. His body jumped when someone knocked on his door. "Yes?"

"Captain, do you have a minute?" Bepo asked from the other side.

"Come in." Law waited for the bear to enter. "What is it?"

"I noticed something about Neo today," Bepo said.

"Oh?" Law brought his full attention to his navigator.

"This might sound weird but when the sea king rocked the sub she was about to hit the wall, knowing she was still injured, I caught her so she wouldn't get hurt again. And while she was against me I could…I got a good sniff of her scent. She smells like nature," Bepo said. "And she also smells very sweet."

Law cocked an eyebrow.

"I know it sounds weird," Bepo said. "But I noticed something was different about their scent when they first came on the sub. It was like I walked into a forest instead. Then I smelled it again when they were still in the medical bay. I didn't think much about it until I caught her. And she also knew it was a sea king before anyone else."

"Oh really?" Law's eyebrows furrowed. Never before had he ever heard of someone smelling like nature or smelling sweet. It sounded so ridiculous. But he knew Bepo would never lie to him, especially about something this odd.

"I could be wrong but I don't think they're human," Bepo said. "I've never smelled a human like that before."

"It seems our mysterious guests have a lot more mystery to them than I first thought," Law said.

"What are your plans for them?" Bepo asked. "Are you going to use them to take down Doflamingo?"

"The thought might have crossed my mind. Their control over plants could cause a lot of trouble for that man," Law said.

"Oh." Bepo's shoulders slumped.

"Don't tell me you already have feelings for them," Law said.

"I don't know," Bepo said. "They're just different. And I know we don't know them very well but Neo is very sweet. I like her."

"Yeah. I've noticed," Law said. When Bepo gave him a confused look he added, "I mean I noticed you like her."

"I do," Bepo said. "I can't explain it but I feel really calm when she's around."

"Well, don't get too attached to her," Law said. "They're only on our sub temporarily."

"Aye, Captain." Bepo nodded and left the room.

"Still." Law leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "I wonder what's going to happen with them onboard."


	12. Cooking With Penguin

Cooking With Penguin

Neo closed the book with a hard thump. Sprawled out on the couch she stared up at the ceiling. Being on this sub she's learned about a whole new level of boredom. And having only a few books to read didn't help anything either. Sensing out where her brother was she found him one floor down, in the training room if she wasn't mistaken. With a heavy sigh, she forced herself off the couch, placed the book back on the shelf, and left the rec. room. Reaching the two set of stairs her attention divided. The stairs on her left lead up to the second level. The level where the captain's quarters was and her birth medallion. The stairs on her right led down to the fourth level where her brother was.

Her eyes focused on going up. Last she knew the captain was down in Bepo's navigation room. They were going over plans or something. She wasn't sure. She was only half paying attention when Shachi and Conner were talking about it in the rec. room earlier. She did, however, sense Bepo still down there. With a gulp, she headed upstairs. This might be her only chance to look around for her birth medallion. Reaching the second level she listened for any signs of the crew. Nothing. She stepped upon to the level. Slipping down the hall she paused at the captain's door. Her conscience decided to try and talk her out of it. She was, after all, invading someone else's space. And respecting someone's personal space was something her parents taught her. But this was different. Something of hers had been taken. She had a right to get it back. Shaking it from her head, she entered into the room. It was her medallion after all.

His scent greeted her upon entering. Glancing around she found his room clean but for some books and papers scattered on his desk. "Clean freak apparently."

She stepped over to his desk. Running her eyes over the books she wasn't surprised to find they were medical. Ignoring them opened the desk drawers in search of her medallion. Nothing but a bunch of notes on medical procedures and plans to take down someone named Doflamingo occupied the drawers. She closed them and stepped over to his closet. It was full of hoodies. "Someone's obsessed with a certain style of clothing."

Pushing them aside she found no place for a medallion to be hidden inside. She even ran her hands over the pockets of his jeans. Nothing. With a sigh she put everything back where it was, closed the door, and looked around the room. The bed was her next destination but pushing up the mattress and checking the pillows she found nothing. Then she entered into the bathroom and found nothing as well. With another, defeated sigh, she left the room. "Maybe he's keeping it with him? That would make sense. At least while he's on the sub. I doubt he'd risk taking it off the sub when we're on land. Or maybe he gave it to one of the crew to watch? Is it possible they have a safe onboard?"

Heading down the stairs, Neo tapped her fist on the wall. She wanted to hit the wall out of frustration but knew that would draw attention. That was something she didn't want. Stepping off the last step she crashed into a solid force. "Ouch."

"Maybe you should watch where you're going," Law said. "That way you won't crash into anyone."

Neo growled. "Or maybe you could?"

"I was." Law smirked.

"Then why didn't you step aside?" Neo crossed her arms over her chest.

"I wanted to see your reaction," Law said.

"Jerk," Neo said.

"So what were you doing up there? I thought you were in the rec. room," Law said.

"Is it a crime for someone to walk around the sub?" Neo asked.

"Depends on what you were doing," Law said. "Were you in my room searching for you necklace?"

Neo gritted her teeth and tightened her arms. How was it possible that that was the first thing he asked? Settling her shaking nerves with a deep breath, she said, "No."

Law stared at her. "I'm having a hard time believing you."

"Oh? And why's that?" Neo leaned against the wall.

"Because the necklace belongs to you," Law said. "And with how important it is for you I know you won't just sit here quietly and not look for it."

"Maybe." Neo shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just biding my time."

"Perhaps," Law said. "Either way I don't have to worry about you finding it. I put it in a safe place where you'll never find it."

"So you say," Neo said. "What is it you want from us?"

"I already told you I want the truth," Law said.

"And what good will that do you? It's not like we're part of your crew," Neo said. "Whatever your goals are, we can't and won't help you with them."

"That's a possibility," Law said. "Another one would be you just falling into my plans since you two are here. I'm highly interested in you and your brother's ability to control plants. You actually might be a good addition to the crew."

"Don't count on it," Neo said. "We have our own problems to deal with."

"So you have said," Law said. "Still you are on my sub and you will do as I say. Even if that means fighting with us."

"You can't be serious." Neo's arms dropped to her side.

"I am serious, Miss Neo," Law said. "And I see no reason why your brother won't agree to that since he'll want to protect you no matter what comes our way."

"So you're going to use us," Neo said.

"You can look at it that way if you wish," Law said. "Or you can look at is as survival. He would be defending you whether you were on my sub or not, correct?"

Neo seethed, her hackles rose. Her mind spun with his words. He was actually using her brother's protectiveness against them.

"Why don't we go speak to your brother about this?" Law turned and headed for the stairs.

"About what?!" Neo stomped after him.

"About you two being on my sub and what you'll be doing for me," Law said.

"You're unbelievable," Neo said. Still she followed him all the way to the training room. Pausing at the door she wondered how he knew her brother was in here. She then brushed it aside. Someone probably told him or he came in here himself already. The sounds of a fight pulled her attention. Her mouth dropped open when she saw her brother sparring with Conner.

"I don't think Miss Neo approves of your sparring session, Kailen," Law said.

"Huh?" Kailen paused and looked over at his sister. "Oh, sorry. I should have told you. I'm just trying to keep busy."

"He's a great sparring partner," Conner said, his bare chest heaving up and down.

"Was there something you needed?" Kailen asked walking over to them.

Neo's eyes drifted down to his chest. Sweat was running down his skin so it was obvious he had been doing this for quite a while. She locked eyes with him and frowned.

"What?" Kailen asked.

"Nothing." Neo pulled her eyes away from him.

"Miss Neo and I were talk a few minutes ago and I think it's time we cleared things up a bit," Law said.

"Okay." Kailen looked at Law.

"While you two are not part of the crew you two are still under my orders as long as you are riding on my sub," Law said.

"Understandable," Kailen said.

"And while you are here you will be helping us on the sub and off," Law said. "That means you will be fighting a long side us."

"You can't do that!" Neo said.

"I'm sure you won't have a problem with this since you are already protective of your sister," Law said.

"Of course." Kailen nodded.

"Kailen! You can't agree to this!" Neo said.

"Neo, it can't be helped," Kailen said. "I'll be protecting you anyway so it doesn't really matter. And he is giving us a ride to Sabaody."

"He is not giving us a ride! He's conning us into serving him until we tell him what he wants to know!" Neo said.

"You can look at it how you wish, Miss Neo," Law said. "But this is how it's going to be."

"I understand," Kailen said. When Neo growled at him he added, "Even though I don't agree with it."

"As long as we understand each other," Law said.

Kailen nodded.

Law nodded back then turn to leave. Pausing he turned back with another smirk. "By the way, Miss Neo."

"What?"  
"If you want to sneak around the sub to look for your necklace, you can do that," Law said. "But if you don't want someone to know about it you should learn to keep your body under control. It was too easy to notice your deep calming breath and the tightening of your arms over your chest."

Neo's jaw fell open. So he had known what she did.

Law left the room.

"You snuck into the captain's room?" Conner asked.

Neo ignored him and rounded on her brother. "How could you agree to that?!"

"It's not like I had a choice," Kailen said.

"Of course you have a choice!" Neo said.

"Oh?" Kailen crossed his arms. "Does that mean you're willing to leave your medallion behind?"

Neo flinched.

"Neo, I understand this isn't an ideal circumstance," Kailen said. "But the captain did bring us on his sub no matter how it happened. He could have left us out there."

"He only wants to use us," Neo said through gritted teeth.

"Maybe," Kailen said. "But he is taking us to Sabaody. And you will be on your best behavior until them. Sneaking into his room? Really? Remember we don't have a lot of options here. And we have to find our godfather before it's-"

"Fine! I get it! I'll play the good little hostage and do as I'm told!" Neo spun on her heels and marched away from him. Behind her she could hear Kailen sigh and Conner whistle.

"Dang," Conner said. "She's a regular little spitfire, isn't she?"

"Sometimes," Kailen said.

And that's all she heard. Their voices faded away as she reached the stairs. Stomping up each one she headed up to the main floor in hopes to get some fresh air. Luckily the large door was open. Stepping out onto the deck, she paused before releasing a frustrated scream.

"Something bothering you?"

Neo jumped at Penguin's voice. She whipped around to find him watching her. "Where did you…?"

"Oh, that's right. Bepo didn't bring you out here," Penguin said then pointed to his left. "The sub deck is kind of like a porch that wraps around a house. Though it doesn't go all the way around."

Confused, Neo walked over to see what he was talking about. The deck did go on farther back than just where she was standing. It was almost a U shape deck. "Oh." She turned from him and walked to the end of the deck. "I'll have to remember that and not scream out my frustrations until I know I'm alone." Reaching the rail, she crossed her arms over it and stared at the horizon. The wind teased her hair and ruffled the sails. She glanced back at the sail finding the same odd smiley face. "Your captain has a strange obsession over that smiley face."

"It actually comes from another man's Jolly Roger," Penguin said.

"So he stole it," Neo said. "Such a pirate thing to do."

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Penguin said. "Ours is different from his."

"So who is he?" Neo asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure I should answer that." Penguin glanced at the door.

"Why?" Neo turned to him and leaned back against the railing.

"The captain, sort of, has a history with the guy I'm talking about," Penguin said. "It's very complicated. And I don't feel right talking about the captain's past without his permission."

"Loyalty," Neo mumbled. That was one major characteristic she loved in people. And it was something that could cause her to actually like this guy, or even this crew if they were loyal enough and showed it.

"So, mind if I ask why you're upset?" Penguin asked.

"Do you really have to? I mean it should be obvious," Neo said.

"Ah, you were speaking with the captain again," Penguin said.

"And my brother. Who suddenly seems to not mind that we're being held hostage here and is now sparring with your crewmate Conner," Neo said.

"Why would you be upset with your brother? I mean he's only doing it to keep busy," Penguin said. "Being on a sub or ship for long periods of time can get very dull and boring."

"Are you suggesting we become friends with you all?" Neo looked at him.

"Would that be a bad thing?" Penguin said. "It's not like you have anything better to do. And it's going to take a long while to get to Sabaody."

Neo sighed and looked away from him. He had a point.

"Look, uh, Miss Neo, I'm heading down to the galley right now to start on dinner," Penguin said heading for the door. "If you want you could come and help."

Neo didn't move. At the moment she wasn't sure what she wanted. She was still an emotional wreck from the death of her parents and Atlas's betrayal. Closing her eyes she imagined her godfather and what he would say or do in this situation. It was obvious that he would focus his energy on taking Atlas down and purify the darkness crystal. However she couldn't do that while unable to use her crystals. But this wasn't about her crystals. This was about her, the situation they were in, and the crew. None of this was really their fault. Kailen was only doing what he needed to do to protect her. And despite the fact the captain of this crew was a complete and total manipulative jerk, the crew has shown themselves to be rather friendly. Maybe it was time for her to show them the same. While this was a pirate ship this was still their home. And she could be a better guest.

Pushing away from the rail, she headed back inside and down to the galley. Entering into the galley she found Penguin pulling out some pans. When he saw her he said, "Did you need something?"

"I guess I want to help," Neo said.

"Oh, okay. Come on over," Penguin said.

"What were you thinking about making?" Neo walked over to him.

"Ravioli," Penguin said. "And breadsticks with a side of salad."

"Sounds good. What would you like me to do?" Neo asked.

"Well, the ravioli needs to be stuffed before we do the salad," Penguin said. "Some ravioli is going to be stuffed with meat. Will that be okay with you?"

"Yes, it's fine," Neo said. "I have some experience in cooking with meat."

"Okay. The aprons are in that drawer." Penguin pointed to the drawer near her.

Neo opened it. Pulling out one she tied it on then washed her hands before joining Penguin over by the island. He had everything already set out.

"We're also going to be stuffing some with cheese," Penguin said. "Conner requested it. He loves cheese."

Neo nodded. Laying out a sheet of dough she started placing some cheese on it. "Listen, Penguin, I'm sorry that I'm being so snappy. I know this isn't the first time I've apologized for it. But I really am going to try harder and be nicer. Well, to at least you and the crew. Your captain I can still do without at this point."

Penguin chuckled. "The captain can have that effect on people."

"Is he always such a manipulative jerk?" Neo asked.

"No, not really. Unless someone has something he finds interesting," Penguin said. "And you two fit that bill."

"Lucky us," Neo said.

"I'm not going to try and push you into talking about your past, Miss Neo," Penguin said. "But if ever you do want to talk about it, I'm a pretty good listener."

"Uh, thanks," Neo said. "And its just Neo. You don't have to call me Miss. I don't really care much for such formalities."

"Sure thing, Neo." Penguin smiled.

"So, who taught you how to cook?" Neo asked.

"I'm mostly self taught," Penguin said. "I started around the age of eight. My mom was working a lot so I had to fend for myself when she was gone. It's not something that I absolutely love, but you have to eat to live."

"Is that how you became the crew's cook?" Neo asked.

"I guess you could look at it that way," Penguin said. "But when we first started I was the only one who had the better cooking skills. The captain could cook a bit, but he mostly does grilled fish and onigiri since it's his favorite. Bepo has some skills too but his fur is always falling in the food. So we were stuck on either eating the same thing everyday, eating food half covered with fur, or I could do the cooking. We chose me."

"Logical choice," Neo said.

"Since then we just haven't really took the time to find an actual chef," Penguin said. "But if we get more crewmates I hope we do. While I like cooking enough to do it I don't want to always cook and cook for such a large crew. Fifteen people is more than enough."

"And we're only adding to that. Sorry," Neo said.

"Don't worry about it," Penguin said. "Two more isn't that much. Beside it's better when I have help in here."

"I'll help when I can," Neo said.

"Only if you want to. I don't want to force you into doing this," Penguin said.

"It's fine," Neo said. "And as it has been pointed out, it's not like I have anything else to do. I've already read all the books in the rec. room seven times each."

"Seven times?!" Penguin dropped the small ball of meat he was rolling in his hands. "Are you serious?! You haven't even been on the sub for a month yet!"

"I'm a fast reader. I love reading a lot," Neo said. "I got it from my mom. She was a big reader too."

"And what about cooking?" Penguin asked. "Is it something you love as well?"

"It is." Neo nodded.

"Who taught you?" Penguin asked.

"My dad." Tears filled her eyes, blurring the meat she was rolling in her hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," Penguin said. "We don't have to talk about them. It's obviously upsetting you."

Neo flinched. With the back of her arm she brushed away her tears then started rolling the meat again. Several seconds later she glanced over at Penguin, wondering if he figured out that her parents were dead. After all she said her mom _was_ a big reader. That should have been a huge tip off that her mom was dead or at least gone. But if Penguin picked up on it he didn't show it. Neither of them said much after that. They both kept busy with their current task. The silence gave way for her mind to drift back to the very first time she had started cooking.

 _Carefully stepping down the stairs with her short legs, Neo made her way down to the living room. The banging of pots and pans from the kitchen had told her that her dad was already up and getting breakfast ready. She too had gotten up earlier than usual due to having to go to the bathroom. And instead of going back to Kailen's room, where she had been sleeping, she decided to venture downstairs instead with the intention of playing._

 _"Neo, you're awake early," Rylan said when his daughter wondered into the room._

 _"I had to potty," Neo said. "What you doing?"_

 _"Getting ready to make breakfast," Rylan said._

 _"Can I cook?" Neo asked._

 _"Of course you can." Rylan smiled. "Pull that footstool over here and step upon it."_

 _Neo walked over to the small footstool they had near the wall. She pushed it over to the stove and stepped upon it. Her eyes roamed over the ingredients on the counter. "Pancakes."_

 _"Yes, that's what we're making," Rylan said._

 _"Yes!" Neo chirped._

 _Rylan summoned a crystal. Engulfing the red crystal coils on the stove with his glow they started glowing red. "Remember the coils are hot now. So don't touch them."_

 _"Hot," Neo said._

 _Rylan placed the pan over the coils. "Why don't you stir up the batter for me? I'm not sure I got all the lumps out of it."_

 _"Okay." Neo grabbed the bowl and mixing spoon. With the bowl and counter still too high for her, she summoned a wind crystal and pulled the bowl down to her leave. Curling her small figures around the spoon she mixed it. "Finished!"_

 _"Let's see." Rylan glanced into the bowl. "Very good, Neo. Now help me pour some into the pan."_

 _Neo lifted the bowl with her winds. Rylan helped tilt the bowl until the right amount poured into the hot pan. "It done yet?"_

 _"We just got it in there," Rylan said. "You have to watch the edges of the batter. Once you see it getting golden brown and bubbles appeared on top you can flip it."_

 _Neo watched the batter. When the edges started to turn her dad handed her the spatula. With his hand guiding her, she flipped the pancake over. "I did it!"_

 _"Yes. You did." Rylan nodded. "You're growing up to be such a good girl. Would you like to try it yourself next time?"_

 _"Yes!" Neo nodded._

 _After the pancake was finished, Rylan moved it to the plate then poured more batter into the pan._

 _This time Neo turned it herself. It flopped. Half of the pancake slid off too soon. She whimpered._

 _"It's okay, Neo. That was a good try," Rylan said while smoothing out the pancake._

 _"But I ruined it," Neo said, tearing up. "Godfather said it's not good to waste food."_

 _"That's very true. But you haven't wasted anything," Rylan said. "The pancake is still good. It'll only look a little funny. All you did wrong was you didn't flip it fast enough. You can try again when this one's done. Okay?"_

 _"Okay."_

 _"That's my girl." Rylan brushed her tears away._

Neo sniffled at the memory. That pancake was an ugly mess but her dad ate it anyway and told her it was the best pancake she had ever eaten. After that she was determined to make the perfect pancake for her family. It took several tries, most pancakes ended up deformed or burnt, but she eventually did it. Then she went on to wanting to make other dishes and hasn't stopped since. Well, not until her parents were killed.

"You okay, Neo?" Penguin asked.

"Yeah." Neo brushed her tears away. "I was just thinking about the time my dad taught me how to cook pancakes. I messed up a lot of the time. But I eventually got the hang of it."

"I can tell you've gotten really good at cooking," Penguin said as his ran his eyes over her perfect ravioli. "You look like such a pro standing there."

"I've made this dish before," Neo said. "My dad owned a restaurant back home. He loved to cook as much as mom loved to read."

"So you had a good teacher," Penguin said.

"Yes." Neo nodded. "He wasn't number one back home but he was really good. But most of the time people only went to his restaurant because of me."

"Why would they do that?" Penguin paused and looked at her.

"Oh, um," Neo stuttered. She had slipped. Her heart raced as she tried to think of a way out of this.

"Oh, I get it," Penguin then said. "They came to see you, didn't they? You're so cute how could they stay away?"

"Yeah, that's right," Neo said. Well it was the truth. Sort of. Most only they went since she was a royal and Rylan was her dad.

"I think we're about done here," Penguin said.

"Oh, I didn't even notice." Neo eyed the ravioli. All of them had been completed.

"You must have had some fun talking to me then," Penguin said.

"Actually, I did," Neo said. So much so that she didn't feel as sad as she did before. Knitting her eyebrows she wondered why. Sadness had basically had her taken over a few minute ago. She looked at Penguin. He was busy seasoning the ravioli that he didn't notice her looking at him. Was it possible that his man, this pirate, had something to do about that? Did he cause her to feel better?

"Would you mind starting the salad while I start cooking the ravioli?" Penguin asked.

"Sure." Neo stepped over to the vegetables. "Have they been washed?"

"Yes, I did that first thing," Penguin said.

Neo picked up the head of lettuce and started pulling it apart.

"You're pulling it apart?" Penguin asked dropping some ravioli into his pan. It sizzled upon hitting the hot oil.

"It'll keep it from turning the edges brown," Neo said. "If you cut the lettuce with a knife the cells inside bust. That's what causes the lettuce to turn brown."

"I didn't know that. My mom always cut it up," Penguin said. "I'll have to remember that."

Finishing up with the lettuce, she grabbed a carrot and a knife then began to shave off the carrot into the lettuce. A few minutes past and she was done. "There. What about dressing?"

"I don't think we have any," Penguin said.

"What about olive oil?" Neo asked.

"Yeah, we have that." Penguin nodded to the cabinet on the other side of the fridge. "You put that on instead of dressing?"

"Yes." Neo nodded and pulled out the olive oil. "It's healthy for you too. It helps protect the heart from air pollution and lowers blood pressure."

"The captain will love that," Penguin said.

"Why?" Neo walked back over to the salad.

"He's the crew's doctor, remember?" Penguin said. "On his orders our meals are always a healthy balance. We're not allowed to eat too much junk food either."

"Sounds very strict," Neo said. "As well as being a jerk he appears to be a control freak."

"Not at all," Penguin said. "The captain is just looking out for our health. And it makes sense considering the lives we lead."

"I guess you have a point," Neo said. "If I had a crew I would want them to be as healthy as can be." She gnawed on her bottom lip. She actually did have a crew, her godfather's. And she did want them to be healthy. Though she didn't have much control over that when they were sailing. Plus they drank quite a bit and Benn smoked. Pressure built behind her forehead. Thinking about them was making her worry again. "So have you guys ever come across any of the emperors? Like Shanks?"

"No," Penguin said scooping out the ravioli and adding more in. "We're from the North Blue. Or most of our crew is. We've picked up six crewmembers since having been in the Grand Line. They're all over the place. I doubt we'll see any of them. Kaido and Big Mom stay in the New World most of the time. I think only Red Hair and Whitebeard spend a lot of time in Paradise."

"The New World, huh?" Neo mumbled. There was a chance that their godfather was there right now. But they needed to know for sure first. It would defeat the purpose going there if Shanks and the crew were in Paradise. "Godfather, where are you?" She spoke louder and added, "Do you know anything about a pirate called Monkey D. Luffy?"

"You mean Straw Hat Luffy?" Penguin asked.

"Is there another?" Neo asked.

"No, I don't know much about him," Penguin said. "I know he's caused some trouble for the marines. Why? Do you know him or something?"  
"No, not really," Neo said. "Mostly by reputation. You know, things I've heard."

"If you're interested in Straw Hat I'm sure we'll run into him at some point. Most likely at Sabaody," Penguin said. "That's where all pirates head before going into the New World."

"Still it's going to be a long while before we get there," Neo said.

"Really all depends on the kind of trouble we run into," Penguin said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded.

"So you seem to be feeling better," Penguin said after a short pause in their conversation.

"I am. Thank you," Neo said.

"For what?" Penguin glanced at her.

"I think cooking with you made me feel better," Neo said. "I don't feel as sad as much."

"I'm glad I could help then." Penguin smile. "You can cook with me at any point in time."

"Thanks a lot," Neo said. "I might take you up on that. Sitting around doing nothing is going to drive me crazy."

"It won't be as boring once you start becoming friends with the crew," Penguin said. "I guarantee you won't be bored for long, especially when we start landing on islands again."

"Yeah, because that last one was oh so much fun." Neo rolled her eyes. "I can't wait to get stabbed again."

Penguin chuckled. "So you do have a sense of humor. I was wondering there for a while."

"Oh, hush." Neo flushed and turned away from him. "Finish the cooking."

"Yes, ma'am," Penguin said.

Neo could feel him smiling but didn't bring attention to it.

"There all done!" Penguin announced a little while later.

"So how do you gather the crew?" Neo asked while setting the food on the tables.

"Like this," Penguin said walking over to a voice pipe she had missed near the door. "Hey, food's ready. Come get it while it's hot."

"That's handy if not lazy," Neo said.

"Maybe," Penguin said.

Within a few seconds the pirates started wondering into the room. Their voices chatting about whatever it is they were doing or what their plans for future islands were. Neo stood back and watched them fill their plates before sitting down herself. Then Kailen came into the room with Conner. She looked at him. He looked back.

"Come on." Conner elbowed her brother. "Let's eat. It smells so good."

"It is good. And so is the salad," Archer said. "Actually, the salad is a lot better. What did you change, Pen?"  
"The one who made it." Penguin pointed his fork at Neo.

"You did it?" Archer look at her.

"I only added olive oil to it," Neo said. "It's good for your blood pressure."

"You seem to know something about heart health," Law said.

Neo looked over her shoulder at the captain. He walked in and sat down beside her. She didn't even notice she had sat down near his seat. "I don't. I only know what foods are good for you and which are bad. Our dad owned a restaurant after all. He taught me how to cook."

"In that case I can't wait to see what else you can cook," Law said.

Neo's pulse thundered. Frustration flooded her. She breathed in and exhaled. This was no reason to get upset. "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see. I haven't made up my mind if I'm going to cook for you all or not."

"Very well then, Miss Neo," Law said.

Neo glanced over at Kailen. He was staring at her with confusion. She shrugged and started eating. She wasn't ready just yet to apologize to him. That would come later once they spent more time apart.

…

Neo wrung the water out of her hair. Done with the towel she placed it back on the rack and dressed then left the bathroom. "Thank you for letting me use your shower again."

"You don't have to thank me every time," Law said, his eyes down on a book. "I told you I wanted it this way."

"Maybe so," Neo said. "But I'm still invading your private space."

"You didn't seem to mind it when you were going through my room before." Law shot her a smirk. "Besides I want it this way."

"Fine. Whatever." Neo sighed and headed for the door.

"Good night, Miss Neo," Law said.

Neo paused at the door. "Yeah. You too." She left the room, thinking about how she was going to apologize to her brother. They had separated after eating and didn't see each other until she went to their room to get a change of clothes for her shower. "Everything's so messed up. I'm not use to fighting with Kailen like this."

She reached their room and stood there.

"Hey, Neo," Shachi said passing her in the hall.

"Hey," Neo said. She stood there for a few more seconds before entering into the room. Kailen was on his bunk. She past him without a single glance. Putting up her dirty clothes, she grabbed her hairbrush and ran it through her hair.

"I'm sorry," Kailen said.

"No." Neo shook her head. "I'm the one who needs to apologize. I know it's only normal for people to get to know others. I shouldn't have got angry at you for doing that."

"No, you shouldn't," Kailen said. "But I still should have been more understanding."

Neo sighed. "Sometimes you're too forgiving."

"Maybe," Kailen said. "I just hate fighting with you."

"I do too," Neo said. "But it will get better."

"I noticed," Kailen said. "You appeared to feel a little better."

"I do." Neo nodded. "Somehow, cooking with Penguin made me feel better. We even had a decent conversation with each other. And…"

"And?" Kailen probed.

"I think I actually like him," Neo said.

"That's good," Kailen said. "You going to cook with him again?"  
Neo hummed. She still didn't give that much thought since they ate. But she found she did want to cook with him again. "I think I will."

"Good," Kailen said. "It'll be good for you to get cooking again."

"Especially since I've already read the books here multiple times," Neo said.

"We'll get you more books," Kailen said.

"How?" Neo put up her brush and walked over to him.

"The captain and I spoke again before we came to the galley," Kailen said. "While we're technically not on his crew, he's still going to pay us."

"Why?"

"I guess mostly because we need things," Kailen said. "He'd have to buy stuff for us anyway. It will be easier this way."

"I guess so," Neo said. "So are we done fighting now?"

"Yes." Kailen smiled. "We are."

"Good." Neo walked over and flicked the light off. By the time she got back to Kailen's bunk he was already moving over to give her room. She crawled in beside him. "I really do love you, Kai. You're the best big brother ever."

"And I love you," Kailen said. "You're the best little sister ever."

"Even when I annoy you?" Neo asked.

"Yes. Even then," Kailen said. "Now go to sleep."

Neo snuggled down into his warm, letting him lull her to sleep.

…

Kailen stayed up for a little bit longer to watch her sleep. He knew it would be good for her to get more involved with the pirate crew. She was a lot more social than she realized. The only thing he was worried about was her relationship with the captain. He hoped, at least, they would become more civil to each other. Though he wasn't really sure if he wanted them to come more than that. Though he wasn't really sure why. With a sigh he brushed the thought aside and closed his eyes.


	13. Small But Feisty

Small But Feisty

Neo wiped the last bit of the water off the plate before placing it onto the stack she had already finished. Laying the towel down she picked up the dishes and put them in the correct cabinet.

"Thanks for the help," Penguin said. "You didn't have to wash the dishes too. Helping with cooking is enough."

"I really don't mind," Neo said closing the cabinet door. "Like I said before this will keep me busy. These past two weeks have sailed by now that I'm helping you."

"You do seem to be a lot better than you have been," Penguin said. "Though…"

"What is it?" Neo asked when Penguin didn't continued.

"I've just been wondering about your eyes," Penguin said.

"What about them?" Neo tilted her head.

"It's only an observation but they appear to be more bluish grey when before they were plan grey," Penguin said.

"Really?"

Penguin nodded.

"I didn't even notice," Neo said touching the corner of her eye. "I guess they're going back to normal since I'm feeling better. Normally they're electric blue."

"You're eyes changes colors?" Penguin asked.

"Apparently so," Neo said. "Though this is the first time that it's happened. And consider that our parents were…"

"Sorry," Penguin said. "I didn't mean to bring up your past."

"It's okay," Neo twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. Part of her wanted to continue and tell Penguin about what happened on Luminous. But a stronger part of her didn't want to reveal that. It made her wonder if she was going to trust them enough to actually tell them the whole entire truth. Her breath hitched in her chest. It was unnerving. Very few knew of their people and home island.

"Something wrong?" Penguin asked.

"It's nothing," Neo said. "So how often do you all stop on islands?"  
"Well, it all really depends on the situation," Penguin said. "We pack enough food to go for a month on the sea. Sometimes longer if we can catch some fish."

"It's already been a month since we've been on your sub," Neo said.

"We might stop soon then," Penguin said. "Sometimes we also stop just to get off the sub for a while. It can get rather dull around here when you do nothing but stare at the same walls and people over and over again."

"I'm still a bit surprised that a pirate crew is using a submarine to sail," Neo said following Penguin out the door.

"I guess it is a bit unusual," Penguin said. "Most want wooden ships like pirates of the past used. But there are a lot of advantages in using a sub."

"Better escape options," Neo said.

"You're rather observant," Penguin said.

"I don't know about that," Neo said. "It's just the obvious." They entered into the rec. room. "Regular ships can't dive under the water. You have the advantage over other pirates and the navy."

"You are observant," Archer said.

Neo glanced over at the man. He and Conner were at the table with a deck of cards out. Though she didn't recognize the game they were playing. "What game are you playing?"

"It's called baccarat," Archer said.

"Never heard of it," Neo said.

"We could teach you to play it," Conner said.

"Maybe later," Neo said.

"All right then," Conner said.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the control room?" Neo looked at Archer.

"I'm on break right now," Archer said. "I might be the head pilot of the sub but I still need my breaks from it. Some of the other crew can pilot the sub as well."

"I should have known. I'm sorry," Neo said.

"Don't worry about it," Archer said with a dismissal wave. "You're still learning how we do things here. And it hasn't help that you've avoided us for a while."

"You're correct," Neo said. "And I am very sorry about that."

"It's understandable considering how you came aboard," Conner said placing a card down. He then smiled and winked at her. "But you're more friendly now. And a lot cuter."

Neo flushed with her own smile. "Thank you. You're not so bad looking yourself."

"That's our mechanic." Archer snickered. "Not so bad looking. The women really fall for him. You should see how they rush to him at taverns."

"Shut up," Conner said. "They don't really flock to me like that at all."

Neo took a moment to compare the two's looks. Archer was a slim man with neatly cut black hair and shining green eyes that made him look almost baby like. Conner was more muscular, no doubt from being a mechanic of the sub. His black hair was a bit on the shaggy side while his blue eyes were deep, almost entrancing. She could see how and why girls would fall for him. He was rather attractive. An unwelcome shiver ran down her spine when a shadow fell over her. Instantly she knew who it was.

"Miss Neo," Law said. "I've been looking for you."

"Lucky me," Neo mumbled before turning to face him. "Did you need something?"  
Instead of answering her, Law looked over at Conner. "Is this a bad time?"  
"No, not at all, Captain." Conner placed his cards down on the table and stood up. "We'll continue this later, Arc."

"Uh, sure," Archer said with a slow blink.

Neo looked at him. When she did he turned his eyes down to the cards in his hand and started picking at them. She then looked at Conner who was walking over to her or the door. "What's going on?"  
"Sorry." Conner rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Miss Neo, I want you to come to the training room with us," Law said.

"What for?" Neo asked.

"It's obvious your brother can fight since he's been training already," Law said. "I'd like to see what you can do."

"Uh, okay?" Neo knitted her eyebrows.

"If you're going to get off the sub I need to know that you can handle yourself properly," Law said.

"You saw that back in the restaurant." Neo crossed her arms over her chest.

"That pirate was drunk and sitting down," Law said. "And this isn't negotiable, Miss Neo. Either you come and do as I want or you will be staying on the sub every time we stop on an island."

Neo gritted her teeth and dug her fingernails into her skin. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and released it. There was nothing to get upset here about. If he wanted more proof she could fight, physically, then so be it. "Very well, _Captain._ "

Law frowned at her sarcastic tone. "Let's go."

"Lead the way." Neo smiled, thrilled she got under his skin for a change no matter how small it was.

Law turned and walked out of the room.

Neo glanced back at Penguin. Instantly she could tell he was suppressing a grin. She shrugged with her own smile then followed after the captain. The three crewmates followed her. While walking downstairs she sensed out where her brother was. Currently he was in the crew's bathroom.

"All right," Law said once they had reached the training room. A few others were in there at the time sparring. They paused to give the new arrivals a glance before going back to their practice. "Conner has agreed to be your sparring partner for this. Depending on how you do he might be your sparring partner for the remaining time you are on the sub."

"Whatever you say, _Captain_ ," Neo said.

Ignoring her, Law nodded to Conner. "Get started."

"Sure thing, Captain," Conner said. He walked farther out into the room then turned back to them. "Well, let's get to it."

Neo shrugged. She stood before him. "I'm ready."

Conner hesitated for a few seconds before lifting his fists.

Neo watched him carefully, waiting for his first strike. He swung at her. She dodged to her right. Spinning on her heel she kicked her other foot up to his head. Her ankle collided with his wrist.

"You're fast," Conner said.

"Thanks," Neo said. Pushing up on her other leg she spun her body around in hopes to kick him in the head. It didn't work. Conner saw her move coming and grabbed her leg. She gasped when he flipped her onto the floor. "Ouch."

"Sorry! Did I hurt you?!" Conner's eyes widened.

"No," Neo said picking herself up off the floor.

"I'll take it easier on you," Conner said.

"Don't you dare," Neo said taking her fighting stance. "I might be small but I can take anything you throw at me. So don't let my looks and size force you to hold back."

"Well." Conner cracked his knuckles. "If you insisted."

Neo dodged another punch from him, barely. It came way faster than the last and made her question her words to him. She threw one back, barely missing his chin.

Conner jumped back from her before launching forward.

Neo side stepped his punch, grabbed his arm, and flipped him onto his back.

Conner bounced back up. With a lightning strike flash he clipped her ear with her fist.

Neo gasped, spinning on her heel.

"Conner!" Penguin growled. "If you hurt her I'll pound you into the ground!"

"Shut up!" Conner said. "She's doing just fine! Besides she told me not to hold back!"

"I don't care! She's still smaller than you! And she's a girl!" Penguin said.

"What?! Being a girl doesn't matter!" Conner said.

Neo threw a few punches at him to which he easily deflected. She then landed a kick on his stomach. Suddenly the world around her flipped upside down and she was on her back again. Glancing at her sparring partner she found him in a down position. He had kicked her feet out from underneath her before she even noticed him moving. "Okay. I surrender. I obvious can't defeat you. There's no point in continuing."

"You did fine," Conner said. He stood up and offered his hand.

"Thanks." Neo took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

"That was great, Neo!" Penguin said while clapping.

"That wasn't bad at all," Archer said. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

"Our Godfather taught us," Neo said.

"To be honest, I never would have thought a small girl like you could be so good at fighting," Conner said. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Neo said. "I know a lot of people will underestimate me because of my size. It gives me the advantage over them." Her eyes dropped to the floor as the first time she was taught to throw a punch came flooding back to her mind.

 _"Hiya!" Neo shouted as she threw out her fist at an imaginary enemy pirate, her arm snaked out into a half circle. "I'm going to kick your butts!"_

 _"You wish, Princess!" Poppy said grabbing a stick off the ground. She swung it around like a sword. "I've always been physically stronger than you three! I'll kick a lot more butt than you will!"_

 _"Well, we'll see about that," Neo said. "Come on, Lily! You too, Violet!"_

 _"I don't want to play this game," Lily whimpered from behind Violet. "I don't like fighting."_

 _"I'm not interesting in this either," Violet said. "I don't want to chip a nail."_

 _"You two can be such killjoys," Poppy said. "Come on, Neo. Let's continue to play pirates."_

 _"Yeah!" Neo nodded before jumping down from the log she was standing on._

 _"What are you kids doing out here in the forest?" Shanks asked walking over to them._

 _"Godfather!" Neo ran over to him. Her arms flung around his leg. Smiling she looked up at him. "We're playing pirates! But you don't have to worry. My guards are close by as always."_

 _"Playing pirates, you say?" Shanks glanced over at the two guards, or in their direction as they were behind some trees trying to pretend their princess couldn't sense them there._

 _"Yeah." Neo turned from him and threw out a punch._

 _"That wasn't bad, Neo," Shanks said. "But you're doing it wrong."_

 _"I am?" Neo looked up at him._

 _"When you throw a punch you need to hold your arms close to your body like this." Shanks drew his arms to his body, fists up. "Then you throw your fist out in front of you like this." He threw a punch in a straight line. "See? By throwing out your fist and arm like you were you won't be able to land a hit on anyone. The punch would be far too slow. You want to jab straight out at your target."_

 _"Like this?" Poppy mimicked the pirate's example._

 _"Yes, that's good," Shanks said with a nod._

 _"Yeah! I can throw a punch!" Poppy jumped up and down._

 _"I'm not sure it's something to celebrate," Violet said. "Seems kind of barbaric."_

 _"Fighting can be barbaric." Shanks squatted down to their level. "But fighting can also save your lives. And it's not that much different from using your crystals. In fact it would be a good idea if you all learned how to fight with your body and not just your crystals."_

 _"Why?" Neo asked._

 _"While it's not very likely that some other humans will find this island it's still possible," Shanks said. "And some of them will have powers that your crystals won't be able to do anything against. Or you might find yourself off this island and need to keep it a secret that you're elementals. You'll need to be able to defend yourselves."_

 _"Well, I have to admit that makes sense," Violet said. "But it would be so much work."_

 _"I promise it will be worth it," Shanks said._

 _"Is that why you and the crew teach other elementals how to fight?" Neo asked._

 _"It is." Shanks nodded._

 _"Then teach us too!" Neo said._

 _"Yeah! Teach us!" Poppy said._

Tears swelled up in her eyes. That's how it all got started. Once done with his healer lessons Kailen joined them everyday that Shanks or the crew trained them.

"Neo?" Penguin said.

"I'm okay." Neo brushed away her tears. "Just missing my friends and Godfather." She turned to Law. "So? What's your analysis of my abilities?"

"You need to learn to be more aggressive. It's fine that you look for ways to use your opponents size against you but that won't always work on people," Law said. "So you will be working with Conner to improve. No objections."

"Fine." Neo crossed her arms over her chest. She winked at Conner. "I think I'd like spending more time with him. You have some really cute crewmates on your crew."

"This is training, Miss Neo, not flirting," Law said clearly displeased with her lightheartedness.

"There's nothing wrong with be friendly." Neo sidled up to Conner, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "Right, Conner?"

Conner laughed, clearly understanding her motives, and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "You got that right, Sweetheart."

Law turned and left the room.

"I don't think he liked that," Neo said.

"It's hard to say since you're the first female we've had on the sub," Conner said.

"And a very cute one at that," Penguin said.

"You're so sweet," Neo said.

"And let me guess," Kailen said upon entering the room. "You're going to flirt with the crew just to annoy their captain?"

"I would never be that shallow," Neo said. "I really do find these guys cute. And if it annoys Trafalgar then a bonus for me."

Kailen shook his head. "Fine. Do as you please. But keep it tame."

Neo shrugged.

Kailen sighed.

"Okay, okay," Neo said. "I'll try not to over do it."

"Good." Kailen nodded.

"So what now?" Neo asked.

"We could continue sparring," Conner said.

"I suppose we could," Neo said. "I don't have anything else to do right now."

"Then lets get started," Conner said taking his stance.

Neo followed suit and their sparring continued.

A couple hours later, they finally stopped. Conner stretched out his body. "I think you're going to give me a much of a work out as I'm going to give you."

"You might be right," Neo said wiping sweat off her forehead before stretching with him.

"There you all are," Bepo said.

"What's up, Bepo?" Penguin asked.

"We're going to be landing soon," Bepo said.

"Finally!" Neo cheered. "It feels like it's been years since I've been on land! I'm so going to go explore the forest!"

"If they have one," Bepo said.

"What do you mean?" Neo looked at him.

"We don't always land on islands that have forests," Bepo said.

"Oh, right," Neo said. "I forgot." Her shoulders slumped. "Well, we'll be in nature either way."

"You like forests that much?" Archer asked.

"I like all nature," Neo said. "But I'd have to say that forests are my favorite. So many animals live in them."

"Are you an animal nut?" Conner asked.

"I might be," Neo said. "That a problem?"

"No, but it might be for the captain," Conner said. "He doesn't allow pets on the sub."

"What? Why?" Neo asked.

"A submarine isn't a good place for animals to be," Archer said. "Present company excluded of course."

"Thanks a lot," Bepo said.

"Don't worry," Neo said wrapping her arms around his. "You're one of the cutest animals I have ever seen."

Bepo blushed.

"Still, it's rather dangerous to have animals on a pirate crew since they could get hurt from other pirates, the navy, and from just about anything," Archer continued.

"That does make sense," Neo said. "All well. I guess I can just have temporary animals onboard."

"Neo, what are you planning?" Kailen crossed his arms.

"Oh nothing." She smiled innocently. "But you do know that animals love me."

Kailen ran his hand through his hair. "Beware that she will be bringing animals on the sub in the near future."

"I get the feeling things are going to be a lot more exciting with you two around," Archer said.

"I guess we'll see." Neo stretched out her back. "Well, I'm going to go get cleaned up a bit."

Kailen followed her out of the room. "You better not be planning anything that is going to get you in trouble with the captain."

"What difference would it make? We're already his prisoners," Neo said.

"I know. But I'd rather not have you locked up in the brig," Kailen said.

"He won't do that," Neo said.

"Neo, this isn't our Godfather's crew we're dealing with," Kailen said. "This is a pirate who's know for torturing his enemies."

"Am I supposed to be scared of that?" Neo glanced at him.

"No, but you can respect that," Kailen said.

"Oh, don't worry so much," Neo said. "It's not like I'm going to ask a bunch of animals or sea creatures to invade the sub. That would be a bit suspicious. We're trying to keep a low profile."

"Sometimes I wish Shanks didn't have such an impact on you," Kailen said.

"You worry too much," Neo said. "Besides I got a lot of this spunk from our mother."

"That you did." Kailen nodded. "Still, don't go overboard."

"I won't. I promise," Neo said. "Well, here's the captain's room. You following me in?"  
"No, I'll leave you alone now," Kailen said before walking away.

Neo turned to the door and knocked.

"Come in," Law said.

Neo entered. "Just came to clean up a bit."

"Fine," Law said. "Go ahead."

Neo nodded and stepped into the bathroom. Turning on the water she cupped her hands under the stream and splashed her face. Done with the water she turned it off then combed out her hair with her fingers before leaving the room. "Thank you."

Law grunted in reply.

Neo left the room. Sensing her brother upstairs, she headed up to him. They waited on the main floor for the sub to dock. It didn't take long for the Heart Pirates to start migrating in their direction. Twenty minutes later the sub was pulling into the dock of the island.

"Miss Neo," Law said walking over to them.

"What is it now?" Neo asked.

"It's about you and this island," Law said.

"What about it?"

"You need to pick someone from the crew to escort you around," Law said.

"What? Why?" Neo frowned.

"In case you get the idea of escaping," Law said.

"You can't be serious," Neo said. "Why would I try to escape? I have no way of going anywhere." Though she knew that wasn't entirely true. They _could_ escape _if_ they found some elementals. But, for one, she would have already sensed them if there were any on this island. And, for two, she still didn't have her birth medallion back.

"It doesn't matter," Law said. "You're still a prisoner on my sub. And you will not be going anywhere without at least one of my crew with you."

Neo growled.

"If you don't like it you can always come with me or stay on the sub," Law said.

"Fine! Conner!" Neo looked over at the man. "Mind if I tag a long with you today?"

"Sure thing," Conner said. "I don't mind at all."

"Is that okay with you _, Captain_?" Neo asked bringing her eyes back to Law.

"Fine," Law said. "Do not let her out of your sight."

"Aye, Captain." Conner nodded.

Neo rolled her eyes.

Shachi walked over to the railing and unlatched a part of it then lifted it up. Turning around he disappeared over the side.

Neo watched as the crew descended one by one.

"You ready?" Kailen asked.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. She walking over to the edge and looked down. There was a ladder built into the sub. "Well, that's a smart thing to do." She climbed down. Reaching the deck, she asked, "So what now?"

"I really don't care," Conner said. "We can go wherever you please."

"What are you going to do, Kai?" Neo asked when her brother joined them. Seagulls cawed overhead while swooping down to land on the docked ships masts. She glanced up at them, thinking about having them go into the captain's room for a while.

"I think I'm going to go do a little shopping for us since the captain paid me already," Kailen said. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a few bills for her. "Here take this. Buy something of interest. And keep out of trouble."

"Thanks," Neo said pulling her eyes to him. "I might find a book I'd like."

"Let's go," Law said.

The group headed towards the town. Once they stepped into it the crew scattered in different directions, disappearing into the crowds. Her eyes landed on Bepo and Law. She wondered where they were going. Well, she wondered where Bepo was going. Law didn't matter to her.

"Shall we get going?" Archer asked.

Neo turned to find the man had stayed with her and Conner. "Sure."

"Anything in particular you're wanting to look at?" Archer asked a minute later.

"A bookstore if they have one," Neo said. "I need more books or else I'm going to shrivel."

"You won't shrivel from lack of books," Conner said.

"I will too," Neo said. "I'm that dependent on them."

"Never mind him," Archer said. "He's a hopeless pessimist."

"And Archer is a hopeless optimist," Conner said.

"You two sound like polar opposites," Neo said.

"We are," Archer said. "But we're also best friends."

"So did you two come onto the crew at the same time?" Neo asked.

"We did," Archer said. "We're actually from the same island called Bristol. My family has always build submarines. An obsession with them runs in my family. When the captain came looking for one he found us. And I had always wanted to sail the seas. So I took his offer when he asked me to the sub's pilot." He put his arm around Conner's shoulders. "And of course this guy came since he was one of the best mechanics we had. He couldn't be without me."

"Shut up," Conner said. "I can live just fine without you."

"You know you would have missed me if you stayed behind," Archer said.

"Whatever," Conner said.

Neo pulled her eyes away from them and scanned the village. Kids were playing, adults were talking, the air was filled with spices from restaurants, and they had a bookstore. She squealed and ran for it, forgetting about her guards.

"Hey! Neo!" Archer called after her.

Neo didn't stop. She rushed up to the building and entered. Breathing in deep she reveled in the familiar smell of books. "So many books!"

People stopped and looked at her. She didn't noticed.

Rubbing her hands together, she took a step forward only to get pulled back by her collar. "Hey!"

"Don't 'hey' me," Conner said releasing her shirt. "You're supposed to stay with us. Remember? Captain's orders?"

"Oh." Neo's shoulders slumped. "I forgot."

"It's fine," Archer said. "We knew where you were going. Let's look around while we're here."

Neo nodded before rushing towards the isles. One by one she looked over the titles only stopped occasionally when one caught her interest.

"Are you almost done?" Conner said. "We've been in here for almost two hours."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Neo looked up from her book she got to reading. "I got lost in this book."

"Clearly," Conner said.

"Oh, leave her alone." Archer walked over to them. "She's having fun."

"It's fine," Neo said. "I can lose track of time when I'm around books. I found three I'd really like to get."

"Then pay for them and let's go," Conner said.

Neo headed for the check out counter. They left the building.

"That was fun." Archer stretched out his arms. "What now? I'm kind of a hungry. Why don't we get a snack or something? I could go for some ice cream."

"Sounds good to me," Neo said.

"Here let me carry those for you." Archer took her bag of books.

"Thank you," Neo said.

"Don't spoil her," Conner said.

"I'm not spoiling her," Archer said. "I'm being a gentleman. Something you could learn about."

"We're pirates," Conner said. "We don't have to be gentleman."

"You can be," Neo said. "And I think you'd be a great gentleman."

"Don't count on it." Conner smirked. "I've never been like that and never will be."

"He's right," Archer said. "He wouldn't know how to treat a lady properly if he tried."

"I do just fine," Conner said.

"Only in his mind," Archer said in high whisper.

Conner shook his head.

"Hey, there's an ice cream stand," Archer said. He led them over to it. A few people were in front of them so they had to wait a few minutes.

"How can I help you?" the man asked when it was their turn.

"Three cones," Archer said. "One vanilla, one chocolate, and, Neo, what do you like?"

"Vanilla," Neo said.

"Make that two vanillas," Archer said.

While waiting for their ice cream cones, Neo looked around some more. Her eyes landed on six very burly looking women wearing fur pelts and capes. Frowning she hoped they didn't kill the animals only for their fur.

"Oh no," a woman said. "It's them again."

"We should get out of here," another woman said as they rushed away.

The burly women walked farther into the town. One grabbed a man by the front of his shirt. His entire body trembled as the woman looked him over. The woman frowned said something to one of the other women then shoved the man aside. The man rushed away. More people saw the women and rushed away from the area.

"Huh? Who are they?" Neo pointed to the women. "And why is everyone running away from them?"

"Oh, them," the ice cream man said. "Those are mountain women. They live up in the mountains around here. They only come down when they want to…"

"What?" Archer asked taking his chocolate cone. "What do they come to town for?"

"When they want to breed," he said.

"Excuse me?" Neo blinked.

"What are you talking about?" Conner asked in mid lick of his ice cream.

"They're known for taking men from the village," he said. "They use them to get pregnant and then kill them."

"You have got to be kidding," Archer said.

"You best avoid them at all costs," the man said handing Neo her ice cream. "They don't really care who they take."

"Thank you." Neo took her cone. They walked away. "Should we find the others and tell them about the women?"

"It's not necessary," Conner said. "They can handle themselves. Besides they'll notice how people react around these women."

"If you say so," Neo said.

"This looks like a nice place to sit," Archer said.

Neo looked up at the large oak tree. It stood tall and proud at the edge of the town almost like it owned the place. She sat down with the pirates. Licking her sweet, cool, and creamy ice cream she watched the townspeople. The burly women were still grabbing men and looking at them. "I wonder why they do that."

"Who knows?" Conner said.

"They might be like the Kuja," Archer said.

"The who?" Neo asked.

"Kuja," Archer said. "They're an all female pirate crew that comes from an all female island called Amazon Lily."

"I think I've heard of them before," Neo said. "But why are they an all female island again?"  
"They hate men because of all the wars they start or something like that," Archer said.

"That's sound so dumb," Neo said. "Women fight just as much as men do."

"Maybe," Archer said. "That's just how it is there."

"Don't forget they kill all men who step on their island," Conner said.

"Leave it up to you to remember that part," Archer said.

Conner shrugged.

"Well, look at what we have here," a woman said.

The three glanced up to find the burly women had come over to them.

"They're really cute, Olga," the smallest of the group said. "I think they'll do just fine."

"I think so too, Melina," Olga said.

"Sorry," Conner said. "Whatever you're selling, we're not interested."

"Good because we're not selling anything," Olga said. The other women laughed. "You two men are coming with us."

"Excuse me?" Conner asked.

"As much as we'd love to go with you," Archer said. "We're already spoken for."

Neo tensed when Olga looked at her.

"You mean _her_?" Olga said. "You have got to be kidding. A small mountain wind could knock her over."

"Uh, I wasn't talking about her," Archer said.

Neo smirked. "You would be shocked to know how false that statement actually is."

"Shut up, child," Olga said. "You're of no interest to us. We only want the men."

"Yeah." Melina giggled. "They're better than any other man we've seen here today."

"Indeed," Olga said. "We have had some good fortune today. Now get up and let's go. It's a long walk back to our home."

"We're not leaving," Conner said.

"Shut up!" Olga hissed. "Men should be seen not heard."

"You're starting to get on my nerves, woman," Conner said.

"Conner, lighten up," Archer said. "Let's not start a fight here."

"I'm not starting anything," Conner said. "But I will finish this if they don't walk away right now."

"Look, dear," Olga said. "We're mountain women. We take what want."

"Look, _dear_ ," Conner said. "We're pirates. We do as we please."

Neo looked at the man then back at the women. She knew from sparing with him that he did have some skills, but she wasn't sure that was enough. There was something off about these women. They were carrying them with far too much confidence. And there was no sign of arrogance in their eyes. It's like they were holding a secret back. "We should just go."

"No way." Conner stood up, tossing his remaining ice cream on the ground.

"Hey! Don't waste food!" Archer said.

"If you people want to fight us then fight," Conner said. "I'm ready for you all."

"No, Conner." Neo jumped to her feet. "Please, let's just go."

"I'm not running away," Conner said.

"Archer," Neo said.

"She's right, Conner." Archer stood up and took his friend's arm in his hand. "There's no point in fighting here. Let's just go find the rest of the crew."

"You're not going anywhere," Olga said when the three tried to step around them. She and her friends blocked their path, pinning them in against the tree.

Neo gritted her teeth. If only she had her crystals. She could easily get them out of this.

"Looks like we're fighting after all," Conner said cracking his knuckles.

"You always want to fight," Archer said with a sigh. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Neo glanced at them. These two were literally night and day. Conner was like a male version of Poppy while Archer was a mix of Violet and Lily. A smile pulled across her face while her heart clenched. It was such a strange mixture of relief and sadness mixing around inside of her.

The pirates charged forward. Leaping into the air they brought their boots down on two of the women. Neo expected the impact. But at the last second the women stepped out of the way.

"What the heck?" Conner said.

"They're fast," Archer said. They landed on the ground and charged again.

Neo watched as each punch and kick they threw at the women got dodged. "What the heck is going on here? How are the guys missing each time?"

"Why don't you try your hand instead of just standing there?" Melina asked.

Neo turned to her.

"They are your friends, aren't they?" Melina smiled. "Are you just going to sit there and let them be taken?"

Neo clenched her fists. This woman was trying to bait her. Still, she knew she couldn't do anything. These guys might not be her friends, yet, but there was no way she would let them go so easily. She launched herself forward, expecting the woman to avoid her attack. And she did. Melina stepped to her left to avoid the punch. Neo turned and followed, landing a kick on the woman's arm. Her kick stopped short. Pain shot through her leg. "What are you made of?"

"We're mountain women," Melina said. "We work hard all day long, unlike you puny little thing. You look like you haven't done a full day's work ever. Why are you even with these men? You could do so much better."

"What do you mean?" Neo asked rubbing her sore leg.

"Men are weak," Olga said. "They do nothing but cause pointless wars with each other. So we have a goal. A goal of making strong women to take over men's positions in the world."

"You can't be serious," Neo said.

"I assure you we are," Olga said. "We currently have over two thousand sisters."

"Congratulations," Neo said.

"We have no interest in fighting you, girl," Olga said. "But if you have an interest in leaving the world of men then you are free to come to our mountain home."

"I'll keep that in mind," Neo said.

"With some training you could make a fine warrior for our tribe," Melina said.

"I think about it," Neo said. "If I decide to join you how do I find your home?"  
"Neo, what are you doing?" Conner asked.

"You're not seriously thinking about going, are you?" Archer added.

"I might," Neo said avoiding eye contact with the pirates. "They have a point. After all your captain did imprison me. And you two are my guards on his orders."

"Oh, you poor thing," Melina said. "I'm sorry I attacked you."

"It's all right," Neo said. "We're strangers after all. So how do I find you?"

"Just follow the trail," Olga said. "Our sisters keep a look out at places but we'll tell them you're considering joining us. They won't bother you."

"That's very sweet of you," Neo said.

"You could come with us now," Melina said.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. If I leave I must tell my brother," Neo said.

"Another man." Olga frowned.

"Maybe," Neo said. "But he is my brother. And he's saved my life. I can't just walk out on him without telling him goodbye."

"Fine. Do as you please," Olga said. "Let's go, sisters."

The women picked the pirates up, slinging them over their shoulders like potato sacks. They left.

Neo sighed. With her leg still throbbing, she limped towards the town.

...

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I was out of town last week. And I needed a break from writing.**


	14. Up the Mountain

Up the Mountain

"Hey, are you okay?" a woman asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Neo said with a smile. "I just tripped and twisted my ankle a bit."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like me to help you to the doctor's?" the woman said.

"No, thank you," Neo said. "My brother is a he-doctor. He'll take care of me." She pointed to a near by shop. "He's just over there in that store."

"Okay then. Take care." The woman waved and walked off.

Neo waved back before continuing to limp along towards the store she knew her brother was in. A growl left her when she reached the store. Of course it had to have two steps on it. Placing her foot on the first step she pressed down on it. A little pain stabbed her leg but it wasn't very bad. So leaning against the railing, she lifted herself up the two steps. She crossed the small porch and entered into the store. Kailen was standing near a rack of coats. "Kailen."

"What's up?" Kailen turned to her. His eyes widened when she limped over to him. "You're hurt! What happened?!"

"I'm fine," Neo said as he dropped to his knees and examined her ankle. "But Archer and Conner aren't."

"What do you mean?" Kailen asked.

"Some mountain women took them," Neo said. "Apparently they come down to the village once in a while to steal men to breed with."

"They do what?" Kailen asked standing back up.

"I know it sounds weird," Neo said. "But the ice cream man told us about them and they confirmed it themselves. They just took them away. We tried to fight but it was like they were able to predict our moves."

"This isn't good," Kailen said. "We have to tell the captain about this."

"I heard it all," Law said.

Neo jumped at his unexpected voice. "Don't sneak up on us like that!"  
"I didn't sneak. I've been here in the store the whole time," Law said, smirking.

"I didn't see you," Neo said.

"You weren't looking for me," Law said.

"Neo," Bepo said.

"You're here too?" Neo looked past Law and to the bear. She didn't even see him. How could she possibly miss such a large animal in an orange boiler suit? She didn't even _sense_ him. Apparently she was more upset about this than she thought. "That's odd."

"What's odd?" Law asked.

"Nothing." Neo shook her head. "I'm just shaken up a bit with what happened."

"We saw you limping." Bepo glanced down at her leg. "Did they hurt you?"

"Not really," Neo said. "I kicked one of them. It was like kicking a mountain. I'm pretty sure it's just a bruise. The pain is going away."

"I'm so relieved." Bepo sighed.

"So what are we going to do about Archer and Conner?" Kailen asked.

"We're going to go get them of course," Law said.

"No," Neo said.

"Excuse me?" Law looked at her.

"You can't just go up there," Neo said.

"And why not?" Law glared at her. "They're my men. I'm not going to stand by and allow this to happen."

"These women hate men," Neo said. "If you all go up there they'll kill you and your crew. They outnumber you. They're not your average women. They're huge. And they most likely got traps set up or someone watching the trail that leads to their home."

"How many women are there?" Kailen asked.

"The one called Olga said they have over two thousand sisters," Neo said. "There's no way you can fight them all."

Law smirked. "You have yet to learn about my skills, Miss Neo, as you have not seen them yet."

"I don't care about your skills," Neo said. "I care about your men's _lives_. These women were not normal. If you were really listening then you know that I've already said it's like they could predict or see our moves ahead of time. How can you possibly handle that?"

"My skills aren't ordinary," Law said. "Those women were most likely using a skill called haki."

"Haki?" Kailen asked.

"It's a power anyone can awaken giving the right circumstances," Law said. "Most just don't awaken it. There're three different types of haki powers. The first is what they were using. It's called observation haki. You can see a person's spirit and a few seconds into the future."

"Oh, that's right," Kailen said.

"Godfather told us about that," Neo said.

Kailen nodded.

"Then you are familiar with it," Law said.

"Yeah," Neo said. "I just didn't think about it when we were fighting those women. I can't believe I forgot about that. Anyway, back to what we were talking about. You're talking about your devil fruit powers? It that how you're going to beat them?"

"It might be," Law said.

"I don't have time for this." Neo rubbed her forehead. "Those women are only going to use Conner and Archer for sex. And once they're done doing that they're going to kill them. They offered me a place among their group. So I'm going to go after them. I'll be able to get inside their village and get the guys out."

"You are not," Law said.

"We don't have time to argue about this," Neo said.

"I'm not arguing," Law said. "I'm the captain and you're going to listen to me. For now we need to get you back to the sub. I need to take a look at your leg to make sure nothing's broken."

"I think I'd know if it was broken. My leg is fine," Neo said. "We can't waste time. We have to go after them before they're killed."

"Do you know anything about reproduction, Miss Neo?" Law said. "It takes time for a sperm to fertilize an egg. It's highly doubtful that they will kill Conner and Archer today or even tomorrow. We have plenty of time to go after them. And I won't go without a plan in place. Now let's get back to the sub."

Neo swallowed a growl.

"Come on." Kailen swooped his sister into his arms.

"So what were you doing in that store?" Neo asked to keep her frustration in control.

"I was getting us some warm clothes," Kailen said. "We might end up on some winter islands."

"Makes sense," Neo said. "I'm glad at least you're keep a clear head."

"Well, one of us has to," Kailen said.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Neo asked.

"It means you're being a bit reckless," Kailen said.

"I am not." Neo pouted.

"You are to," Kailen said. "But never mind that for now."

"Fine." Neo turned her attention to the town. She watched the buildings go by and people go about their business like pirates weren't in the town at all.

Reaching the sub Law warped them inside and right into the medical bay. "Place her on the exam table."

Kailen sat Neo down and stepped aside.

Neo sat as Law propped up his sword against the exam table then rolled up her pant leg. His skin was tough with calluses but his touch was surprisingly gentle.

"Does it hurt when I press here?" Law asked pressing against her skin.

"No," Neo said. "Like I said, it's just a minor bruise. I can walk fine."

"You appear to be correct," Law said.

"She doesn't need an x-ray?" Bepo asked.

"No, it's not necessary," Law said.

"I'm so glad." Bepo smiled.

"You're so cute for worrying over me like that," Neo said. "Next time we're off on an island you'll have to escort me."

Bepo nodded.

Law cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Captain." Bepo ducked his head.

"Don't apologize," Neo said. "You did nothing wrong."

"I'm sorry," Bepo said.

"You're so cute when you get depressed," Neo said. Reaching out she patted his head before scratching behind his ear.

Bepo hummed and leaned into the touch.

"If you're done treated my navigator like a dog, I need him to get a map of the mountain," Law said.

"Fine." Neo released him.

"Bepo, run back into town and see what you can find out about this mountain," Law said.

"Aye, Captain." Bepo rushed out of the room.

"Kailen, you're coming with us," Law said.

Kailen nodded.

"And what am I suppose to do?" Neo asked.

"Stay here," Law said. "With your leg like it is you have no way of fighting."

"I don't have to fight," Neo said. "They won't attack me."

"They already have," Law said.

"They only did that because I attacked them first." Neo crossed her arms and glared at him. "I didn't think it would be nice of me to not try and save _your_ subordinates."

"I understand and I thank you for trying to help them." Law grabbed his sword. "But I won't risk your safety and body like this. You will stay put."

"You are impossible!" Neo slapped her hands on the exam table before pushing herself off it.

"Neo," Kailen said.

"I'm going to our room," Neo said before exiting the room. If it weren't for her leg still throbbing a bit, she would have stomped all the way down the stairs. Reaching their room she sat down on the bed with a dejected huff. "What a jerk! Just because I have a bruise doesn't mean I still can't fight! Or at least go after them!" She paused. The image of her parents dying before her flashed through her mind. Her nailed dug into the mattress. There was no possible way she could just sit there and do nothing. There was no way she was going to let someone else die. "I can still go."

The sound of footsteps out in the hall prompted her to get up. She opened the door and saw Penguin. He said, "Oh, hey, Neo. Bepo told us what happened. Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine," Neo said. "Is he back yet?"

"No," Penguin said. "Shachi and I just crossed his path while he was heading out to find a map for the captain. We came back to the sub to see if we could help."

"Are you heading up the mountain now?" Neo asked.

"In a little while," Penguin said. "The captain wants to look over the map first, if they have one, before formulating a plan."

"I see," Neo said. "Well, I hope you'll be all right going up there. Those women aren't normal."

"I've heard." Penguin nodded. "Well, I have to get back to the captain now. See you later."

Neo waved to him. She watched him disappear down the stairs. Her mind spun for a few seconds before she headed for the stairs. Step by step she hoped that no one else came into the sub. Penguin had said he and Shachi came back to the sub. So no one else should be here. And since Penguin went downstairs, she assumed that's where the captain was as well. If she were lucky she would be able to get off the sub and head towards the mountain before anyone even knew she was gone. Of course there was her brother. But he wouldn't notice her leaving, hopefully. The only time he's ever kept a constant watch over her was on the very rare occasions when she was sick. She wasn't now so she should be fine.

The door was open. Making her escape a lot easier but doing nothing for her racing heart. She climbed down the ladder and dashed across the dock. Knowing the rest of the crew could spot her if she went through the town she headed behind the buildings until she got to the large tree. She paused and looked at the ground right where they were sitting. Her heart throbbed. If she had the use of her crystals then they wouldn't have been taken in the first place. She wouldn't have lost them. Biting back her tears she headed for the mountains. Her eyes dropped to the ground. Like she knew there were six sets of fresh footprints. She followed them. Half an hour later she reached the base of the mountain. Her already sore leg throbbed from the walking. Sitting down she rested a few minutes to give her leg a break and a quick massage.

A couple squirrels ran up to her. They chittered at her.

"Hello there," Neo said. "I'm just resting. I have to climb up this mountain. Some friends of mine were taken by some women who live up there."

They chittered at her again.

"You don't have to worry about me," Neo said. "The women won't hurt me. In fact they invited me to come up. I'm only going to save my friends. Well, you can come if you want to. Though I don't want you to get hurt. So once we reach their village it would be best if you stayed hidden. I'm not sure if they'll want to eat you for dinner or not. Oops. I guess I shouldn't have said that. But, yeah, you're right. It's best for you to stay right here."

The squirrels ran off.

Neo stood up and started walking again. The path was surprisingly easy to follow. It started out as a simple dirt path for about half a mile up the mountainside. Then it got rockier. She stepped upon a rock and crossed a few more before jumping back down to the ground. Rounding a bend she came face to face with a sixty-foot cliff. Scanning her eyes around the area she found no other way to get out of here. The only ways were up or go back the way she came. Moving closer to the wall she inspected it and found someone had carved out foot and hand holds. "That's convenient. Though I wonder how they got Archer and Conner up there. I hope they didn't hurt them by throwing them up or something. At least no more than they already have."

Neo planted the toe of her boot into one of the footholds. Reaching up she grabbed onto the rock and pulled herself up. The rough rocks bit into her skin but she kept moving. Minutes past before she finally reached the top. Laying half over the edge she started to pull herself up. She was about to her feet when suddenly her surroundings changed and she dropped to her knees. "Ouch! What the heck?!"

"I was going to ask you that same question," Law said.

Neo flinched. Looking over her shoulder she found not only him, but also her brother, Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo staring at her. "Um. Hi."

"Seriously, Neo?! What were you thinking coming up here like this?!" Kailen asked.

"I was going to save Conner and Archer!" Neo stood up. Narrowing her eyes at her brother, she asked, "How did _you_ even notice I was gone?"

"It was a feeling," Law said. "When Bepo returned I went to your room and found you missing."

"So you were checking up on me?!" Neo said rounding on Law.

"It's my job," Law said. "I told you to stay on the sub."

"You should have known there was no way I was going to do that." Neo crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced back up at the cliff. "Now I'm going to have to climb that again."

" _You_ are going back to the sub," Law said.

"I'm not going to do that, _Captain_ ," Neo said. "I am going to help get them back. If you want me to go back to the sub then you're going to have to tie me up and carry me there yourself."

"Don't tempt me." Law gripped his sword hard.

"Just let her come, Captain," Penguin said. "We're already this far. Having to go back to the sub will only waste time. We need to get to Archer and Conner before anything else happens to them."

"He's got a point," Shachi said. "And Neo might actually be helpful here since the women are a lot nicer to other women."

Law closed his eyes. Several seconds past before he finally opened his eyes. "Fine. Let's get going. But this conversation isn't over. We're going to talk about this when we get back to the sub."

"Whatever you say," Neo said.

"Room." Law lifted his hand.

"What the heck?" Neo glanced around at the blue film that surrounded them. "What is this?"  
"Part of the captain's devil fruit powers," Bepo said.

"Just watch," Penguin said.

"Shambles," Law said.

Neo blinked. One second they were at the bottom of the cliff and the next they were on top of it. "What the heck did you just do?"  
"I warped us to a different location." Law turned and walked away from the cliff.

"What kind of devil fruit power is that?" Neo followed after him.

"It's the Op Op devil fruit," Penguin said. "That blue film you saw around us is his operating room."

"Operating room? What about back at the sub?" Neo asked.

"That's sort of different," Penguin said. "With the captain's powers he can warp us like he did, sever a body without or without damaging it-"

"You have got to be kidding!" Neo's eyes widened. Her eyes shot to Law's back. The captain never turned around.

"I knew about the warping part since that's how we got on the sub when we first came here," Kailen said. "But I didn't know he could do more than that."

"He can do a lot more," Shachi said. "He can remove a person's heart without damaging it."

Neo halted. "He can do what?"

"It's a technique called scalpel," Penguin said jutting his fingers forward. "The heart literally pops out of a person's chest. It's held inside of a clear square box."

"That's creepy," Neo said. "And it still beats and everything?"

"It does." Penguin nodded. "It's said to be one of the most powerful devil fruits in the world. Some call it the ultimate devil fruit. But to use it to its full potential the user has to have great medical knowledge."

"And does he have that?" Neo nodded towards Law.

"He does," Penguin said. "The captain's been studying to be a doctor for years. Ever since he was a kid actually."

Neo looked back at Law. He was still walking ahead of them seemingly unaware that they had stopped.

"Are you coming?" Law then asked. "Or are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day?"

Neo growled and marched after him.

"Do you think we'll see any goats up here?" Bepo asked looking around. "I smell some."

"We will," Neo said sensing the goats near by.

Kailen frowned at her.

"How do you know?" Bepo asked.

"Uh." Neo flinched. She let those words slip out. "We'll I saw some droppings before."

"I hope they're friendly," Shachi said.

"As along as we don't bother them they shouldn't bother us," Penguin said.

Neo slowed her pace so she could drop back by her brother. She whispered, "You had better not have told them I left the sub."

"I didn't," Kailen said. "Captain Law did go looking for you."

"He's probably never going to let me out of his sight now," Neo said.

"Well, you shouldn't have taken off like that," Kailen said. "I'm rather disappointed in you myself."

"Why? I didn't do anything wrong," Neo said.

"You want to rethink that?" Kailen frowned. "Your magic isn't working, Neo. What if you got up there and the women notice you're trying to release Conner and Archer? What would you have done then?"

"I would have thought of something," Neo said.

Kailen sighed. "Sometimes you're too impulsive. Godfather wouldn't like how you're acting."

"Well, he's not here now is he?" Neo said.

"Please, Neo." Kailen rubbed his neck. "I don't want to argue with you. Again."

"Fine. Whatever," Neo said. Silence past between them for a few minutes. She scanned her eyes around their surroundings, hoping the goats would come over and see them.

"You're starting to see them as friends," Kailen said.

"Maybe," Neo said.

"You are. If you weren't you wouldn't have came out here on your own," Kailen said. "That's why you came up here by yourself. You care about them. You're always quick to care about people. I should have known. I'm sorry for getting upset with you."

"Fine. I'm starting to see them as friends." Neo growled through gritted teeth.

"That's good." Kailen smiled. "Now if only we can get you and the captain to become friends. Then we might get some peace and quite on the sub."

Neo snorted. "Don't count on it. I want nothing to do with that jerk. Once we get to Sabaody we'll never see him again."

"Maybe. Only time will tell for sure," Kailen said.

"You two made up yet?" Penguin asked.

"Yes," Neo said.

"Good," Penguin said. "I wouldn't want you two to be angry with each other. You seem like you're really close."

"We are," Neo said. "So our fights never last very long. And they're pretty rare too. So do you know how far up the mountain the village is?"

"It's over halfway up," Bepo said. "We have a long way to go still."

"Or your captain could just use his powers and warp us up there," Neo said.

"I won't be doing that," Law said.

"Why not? You have that power," Neo said.

Law didn't answer. And neither did the crew.

"At least it's a nice day for a walk on the mountain," Penguin said. "At least at the moment. It's going to get colder the higher we go." He looked back at Neo and Kailen. "You two don't have winter clothes yet."

"We'll be fine," Kailen said.

"I grabbed these before leaving the sub." Bepo pulled out two cloaks from his boiler suit.

"Thank you, Bepo," Neo said taking one from him.

"If we're lucky this won't take very long at all," Shachi said.

Kailen draped his over his shoulder.

"Huh?" Neo looked to her right when she sensed some goats coming their way. Six came busting out of a group of bushes.

"Look out!" Shachi said. When one charged at him he leaped into the air.

"They're attacking us?!" Penguin dodged one as well.

"Are there babies around here?" Bepo asked.

"None of them have milk," Kailen said stepping to his left to avoid one. The goat paused, smelling his difference then walked away. "I think they're trained to attack people."

"Actually they're only attacking you men," Neo said as some goats gathered around her.

"Huh?" Shachi looked at her. Three goats were standing beside her, rubbing their heads on her body, and swishing their tails. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"We don't have time for this." Law dodged a couple attacks before pulling out his sword.

"No!" Neo ran towards him and latched onto his arm. "Don't you dare hurt them!"

"Not again." Law tried to shake her off.  
"You don't have to kill them!" Neo said tightening her hold. "They're only doing what they were trained to do! It's not their fault!"

"You and your obsession with animals is getting really annoying!" Law said. One charged at him. Spreading out his Room, he warped them out of the way. "Let go!"

"Only if you don't hurt them!" Neo said.

"Fine! I'll only divide them up!" Law said.

Neo searched his eyes, searched for the truth. She found it. He was being honest with her. She released him. "Okay."

Law sliced his sword through the air. All of the goats' legs flew off their bodies. The goats flailed and bleated.

Their fear pierced her heart. She grabbed her chest and walked over to a couple. Kneeling down she stroked their heads. "Easy now. It's okay. You're fine. I promise you'll be put back together soon. We just need to pass by. That's all."

Once they were calm she moved on to the next group and then the next until she spoke to them all.

"What are you doing?" Penguin asked.

"Calming them down," Neo said. "I can't leave them like this. They're too scared."

"You can leave them. And you will. I already let you waste enough time," Law said putting up his sword. "We're leaving now."

"Fine. But on our way back down you _are_ going to put them back together," Neo said.

Law turned his back to her and continued walking without a reply.

"Let's go," Kailen said.

"We'll be back," Neo said before rushing to catch up with her brother and the pirates.

For the next fifty minutes everything went smoothly. They walked along the well-worn path, over a small mountain stream before starting up an incline. Then Penguin looked down. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Shachi asked.

"Look out!" Kailen cried. Loud rumbles descended upon them as he summoned his earth crystals. Stringing out vines, he blocked their bodies from being smashed by an avalanche of large boulders.

"What the heck?!" Bepo screamed. "Where did those come from?!"  
"It appears some traps have been set," Law said.

"Or the women are trying to kill you men." Neo smirked.

"They would have killed you too," Law said.

Neo shrugged. "Not if I came alone like I wanted to."

The rocks slowed and the rumbling faded. Kailen lowered his vines. "That was way too close."

"Shambles." Law warped away from the group.

"Hey! What's he doing?" Neo asked. "Where did he go?"

"He must have seen something," Penguin said just before the captain reappeared.

"Where did you go?" Neo asked.

"Up to the cliff where the rocks came from," Law said. "There were some women up there. Clearly they are watching us."

"What did you do to them?" Neo gulped. Her mind instantly pictured their dead bodies lying on the ground.

"Let's keep moving," Law said heading on up the mountain.

Neo exhaled. Part of her wanted him to answer her. But part of her didn't want the answer. She hoped he only used his devil fruit powers to split them apart.

"Hey, Kailen, how did you even know those rocks were coming?" Shachi asked.

"Oh, well, I can feel it," Kailen said. "Through my crystals. I mean. Since they're connected to nature I felt the rocks move."

"Amazing," Shachi said. "Do you feel anything else?"  
"Not really," Kailen said not wanting to give anything else away.

Neo glanced at him. They both sensed plenty. Several places on the mountain were unstable and there had been some holes dug but those were farther up the mountain. The women clearly had done it as traps for people who came up the mountain. It made her wonder if Olga's invitation to join them was legit or a trick. Connecting her senses to the world around her, she searched out for anything that told her there were people near by watching. Nothing. The animals didn't even seem nervous at all. Maybe the women the captain dealt with were the only ones keeping watch. Or maybe there were more but hidden very well.

Before long the incline they were climb split off into two different paths leading farther up the mountain. Law knelt down to inspect the footprints on the ground. "Looks like they've taken both paths."

"Is it a trick?" Shachi asked.

"It could be." Law stood up. "Kailen, can you sense anything?"  
"I'm not really sure," Kailen said. "It's possible that there are some holes dug along the paths. So which ever one we take it might be best for me to take the lead."

Neo watched as the wheels in the pirate captain's head turned. A minute past before he nodded. He said, "Okay. You take the lead them. But only you. Miss Neo needs to stay between us so nothing happens to her."

"I don't need your protection." Neo crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm like my brother, remember?"

"So you can use your crystals now?" Law asked.

Neo growled. Did he really have to remind her of that?

Kailen started up the trail before the argument could go any farther. Carefully, he scanned the ground for the holes they were sensing. After three minutes of walking they came up to one. "There's one here."

"Amazing," Shachi said. "It looks like the dirt and rocks haven't been disturbed at all."

"They must have built up a lot of skills living in these mountains," Penguin said.

"And it looks like they used the mountain side here to get across." Kailen scaled the wall a few feet before crossing around the hole. Reaching the other side he climbed down then signaled for the others to follow. "Let's try to avoid the traps as best we can in case they come check them. If we get lucky enough maybe they'll think the rocks did us in or we went back down the mountain."

"Sounds like a good idea in theory. But once they discover the other women they'll know we're coming," Bepo said as they started scaling the wall. Reaching the other side they continued on up the mountain, scaling the mountainside a total of seven times before coming to a gorge and a rope bridge.

"Doesn't look all that sturdy to me," Bepo said. "Do we really have to cross it?"

"We don't have to," Neo said. She then wiggled her fingers like she was casing a spell. "Or your captain can use his devil fruit magic and warp us across."

"My range doesn't go that far," Law said. "We'll have to cross on foot."

"I hope no one falls," Shachi said. "It looks like every other plank is missing."

"It's possible they just fell off," Neo said eyeing the weather worn ropes. "Those ropes are really worn down."

"Not making me feel better," Shachi said.

"Sorry." Neo smiled. "I didn't mean to be all doom and gloom."

"Oh!" Shachi squealed. "You're so cute when you smile! You really need to do it more often!"

"Thank you!" Neo's smile grew a bit. A small bit of hope swirled inside of her. It died quickly when she remembered Conner and Archer. "I might do that more after we know your friends are safe."

"Yeah." Shachi nodded.

"So are we crossing in a certain order?" Bepo asked.

"I don't think it matters," Kailen said. "It should hold us. I'm going to keep my crystals out just in case."

"You should thread one vine out for all of use to hold," Neo said.

"Good idea." Kailen nodded. Shifting a crystal in front he threaded out a vine to the other side, wrapping it around a tree, and his end to the people with him. "If the bridge does collapse we can use my vine to swing over to the other side. So just hold on."

The group nodded. One by one, with Kailen in the lead, they stepped onto the bridge. The wood and ropes groaned and sunk a little but it held as they made their way across it. A board snapped. Bepo screamed when his leg sunk low. Launching forward he landed on the next piece of board. Everyone frozen, their hearts pounded in their chest as the bridge swung from the unexpected movement. The bridge slowed to a stop. They relaxed and continued moving. Five minutes past before they reached the other side.

"Well, that was fun." Penguin offered his hand to Neo.

She gladly took it and jumped to safety. "No kidding. Life with you guys is going to be rather exciting, isn't it?"

"Well, we are in the Grand Line," Penguin said as they walked along a small cluster of rocks. "Does that mean your life back home wasn't very exciting?"

"Well." Neo thought about that. There were times when she was really bored with life on Luminous. But there were also times when things were really exciting. Though most of the exciting times came with Godfather and the crew was there. She glanced up at the mountaintop towering above them. Unlike the mountains back home this one was capped with snow. It reminded her of the time when she had first created a snowstorm on Luminous thanks to Shanks involvement. It was during one of her crystal lessons when she was about nine years old. Shanks and the crew had been on the island for a while. And the red haired man was being mischievous again. And like always he pulled Neo right into it, not that she ever complained about it.

 _"You want me to do what?" Neo asked once her godfather had gotten her away from her lesson._

 _"I want you to create a snowstorm," Shanks said. He was bending down to her height. "They don't happen here. It'll be a nice treat for the elementals to have one."_

 _"You just want to cause trouble again," Neo said smiling._

 _"Maybe." Shanks smiled. "But I also want the elementals to experience snow. And snow isn't something you get around here. Well, unless you or some other elementals come together and make it happen. Do you remember how snow is created?"_

 _"Of course I do," Neo said. "Snow is formed when there's moisture in the atmosphere and the temperature is low."_

 _"Then do it." Shanks' smile grew._

 _Neo nodded with a big smile of her own. Summoning her crystals she drew in a cold breeze and sent some moisture into the air. Her body shivered at the change in the air around their home island. Sparkling ice crystals began to form in the air. She heard them crystalizing before they finally fell to the ground._

 _"Yeah!" Shanks cheered. "You did it!"_

 _"Yeah!" Neo leaped into the air. Of course she had made small snow clouds before, but only small enough that the clouds would fit into her hand. Her teacher didn't want her to go overboard since snow wasn't a part of Luminous. Well, now that was gone. Snow blanketed the island within minutes. Both animals and elementals became confused at the white powder but soon started to enjoying it. Well, some did. Some ran back home to the warmth inside or got in close with fire elementals._

 _"Shanks!" Mira cried out once the snowmakers got back to the castle grounds. "How could you?!"_

 _"Why am I always blamed for this?" Shanks asked._

 _"Because you always cause trouble when you're here!" Mira planted her hands on her hips and glared at the pirate._

 _"Relax." Shanks winked. "Everyone's loving this."_

 _Neo looked around the castle grounds. While everyone wasn't enjoying it a lot were. She brought her eyes back to her mom._

 _Mira's arms dropped to her sides with a sigh. "What am I going to do with you two?"_

 _"Love us." Shanks grinned._

Tears gathered in her eyes. She brushed them away before they could fall. Mira was always quick to forgive Shanks. The red haired man was hard to stay angry with. "Have you all ever played in the snow?"  
"Of course we have," Penguin said.

"It snowed a lot on our home island," Shachi said. "What about you two?"  
"We've played in snow before." Neo glanced at Kailen before adding, "But snow doesn't really happen on our island. We're more of a warm weather place."

"Well, at least you got some," Penguin said. "If we're luck we'll stop on a snowy island somewhere between here and Sabaody."

"That might be nice," Neo said. "Though I'm still in a hurry to get to Godfather."

"How much farther up the mountain do you think it is?" Bepo asked.

"You're the navigator," Shachi said. "And you have the map."

"Oh." Bepo paused and pulled the map from his boiler suit. Kneeling on the ground he rolled it out. "I was able to talk to someone when I got the map. They said they believe the women's dwellings are here." He pointed at the map. "While you can't see it from below there's actually a plateau jutting off the mountain. That's how they know when new ships come to the island. They can see them from there."

"So then we should be able to look down into their home," Kailen said. "Or hopefully. We won't know until we get there."

"We also need to keep a look out for more guards," Penguin said.

Bepo rolled up the map and they continued.

"So what exactly is the plan when we get there?" Neo asked. "You plan on going in swinging and slice them up?"

"That would be far too hectic," Law said. "And it could cause them to kill Conner and Archer."

Neo's lungs hitched. That was a stupid plan.

"Fire thing's first," Law said. "We need to actually get there. Once we see the layout of the village I'll be able to decide which plan will be best."

"So you have more than one?" Neo asked.

"I do." Law nodded.

"Good," Neo said.

Law glanced at her.

"What?" Neo knitted her eyebrows.

"Nothing." Law faced forward again.


	15. Of Pirates & Gentlemen

Of Pirates & Gentlemen

The group inched closer to the edge of the cliff they stood on. Looking down they could see the layout of the village. Many stone homes were scattered all over the plateau as well as many women and girls. They were trying to figure out where their crewmates were but none of the stone homes looked like a place for prisoners. There were no bars on any stone homes. And there were no guards standing around anywhere. But considering how big and strong the women were they probably didn't need them in the first place.

"Just great," Shachi said. "How do we know which one they're in? Do any of those stone homes looked like a prison to any of you?"

"Well, considering what they brought them up here for I doubt they'll be put in an actual prison," Penguin said.

"I know that!" Shachi snapped. He glanced at Neo. "I just didn't want to say it because of…"

"You don't have to keep quiet about sex around me," Neo said. "I'm not a child. I know all about it."

"Sorry." Shachi flushed.

"Anyway," Penguin said. "What's our next move, Captain?"  
Law knitted his eyebrows.

"I should go down there," Neo said.

"Neo, don't start that again," Kailen said.

"Why not? It's obvious we're not going to get anything from sitting up here," Neo said. "And it's possible that if _you_ all try and sneak in to find them you'll be spotted. And you definitely can't go in swinging. For all we know those women here have a knife to their throats or a gun to their heads."

"She's got a point," Shachi said.

Law exhaled.

"Look I won't cause trouble down there," Neo said. "I'll just pretend that I'm interested in joining them. Then I'll look around when I can. Once I find where Archer and Conner are I'll send you a signal of some sort."

"No," Law said.

"Fine." Neo crossed her arms. "Then what do you suggest?"

Law gritted his teeth.

Neo watched his mind go over the possibilities. When his jaws clenched tighter she knew she won this argument. Law wanted his men back alive not dead. And she might be the only way to make that happen.

"Fine," Law said. "Infiltrate them but do nothing more than find out where our crewmates are."

Neo nodded.

"You're insane," Kailen said.

"Guess Godfather rubbed off on me." Neo smiled.

Kailen shook his head. No truer statement has been said.

Neo walked away from the guys. Heading down a small nearby trail she made her way onto the plateau. It was a long walk into the village. Or maybe it just felt like it was since she was getting nervous. She picked and twisted the end of her cloak to keep herself calm. Birds swooped down to get a closer look at her before flying off. Their presence soothed her. She stepped into the village. Several young girls and teenagers stopped and looked at her before a tall woman blocked her path.

"And who are you?" the woman asked.

"My name is Neo," Neo said. "Olga offered me a place among you."

"Olga, you say?" The woman gave her a suspicious look. "What happened to the men that you were with?"

So there were more of them watching them come up here. "They were trying to force me back with them. I declined and they left. Well, they left after a little persuasion."

The woman continued to look at her.

Neo swallowed. The woman towered over her by at least three feet. She really had no idea how to get past this woman. It was still possible they knew the men were still close by. "Look, just ask Olga yourself. She did invite me up here. Where is she?"

"Taking care of some other guests," she said.

"Could you take me to her?" Neo asked doing her best to stay calm and not give away anything.

"No," she said deflating Neo's hope. "You stay here. I'll go get her."

"Fine," Neo said. She watched the woman walk off before looking around the village again. Some villagers stopped and glanced at her before moving on. While other stopped and stared for a while, whispering to each other. She wondered if those who lingered were sensing her differences. Movement drew her eyes.

"Well, you came up after all," Olga said.

Neo turned to find her and Melina walking over to her. "Yeah, well, I got really tired of being bossed around about by a certain man."

"Oh? Who would that be? Your brother?" Melina asked.

"No, not him," Neo said. "The guy I'm talking about is a pirate. A pirate captain actually."

Olga spit on the ground. "Disgusting creatures the lot of them."

Neo bit her tongue when she wanted to bring up her godfather and how he and his crew weren't like that at all. She swallowed it down, hard, and said, "Maybe so. But this one was really bossy. He tricked me and my brother onto his ship. And ever since then he wanted to do nothing but control me. I had enough. So I left."

"You poor dear," Melina said pressing her hand to her cheek.

Neo shrugged. "It's fine. I'm away from him now. So is it still all right for me to come here?"

"Of course it is." Olga patted Neo on her shoulder, hard.

Neo gritted her teeth at the rough treatment. It seemed a gentle touch wasn't any where in the bodies of these women. She hoped nothing got broken.

"Let me show you around," Melina said. "Can I show her around, Olga?"  
"Of course." Olga nodded. "I have other things to attention to. So if you'll excuse me."

"Sure." Neo nodded. When Olga walked off she turned to Melina, noticing the woman now had her dark blonde hair in braided pigtails. It, somehow, gave her more of a girly look from before. "So where do we start?"

"Good question," Melina said. "I could show you where we smoke meat, or where we bathe…"

"Bathe?" Neo looked around. She felt a nearby stream.

"Yes. We have a hot spring near here," Melina said. "It's amazing to bathe in it during the winters."

"I should say so," Neo said. It sounded good whether it was winter or not.

"I know!" Melina said. "I'll show you where you can sleep. I have plenty of room in my own home. Follow me!"

Neo followed after the excitable woman. They past several stone homes before Melina finally entered into one. She looked around, noticing a lot of handmade items like baskets. "You weave baskets?"  
"Yes," Melina said. "We use them for all kinds of things, mostly for newborns. We carry them around in them."

"I see," Neo said noticing that a lot of them could fit a newborn. It brought her attention back to Archer and Conner. "So what about the men you have here?"  
"What about them?" Melina cocked her head.

"I'm just curious. I know you took those two I was with but do you have others?" Neo said.

"Right now it's only those two," Melina said. "A mating ceremony is coming up in two days. Then is when a few of us will mate with the men."

"A few of you?" Neo asked.

"That's right. Are you interested in mating?" Melina asked.

Neo had to force the words out of her mouth. "Yes. I am interested in mating."

"That's wonderful!" Melina clapped her hands together, her eyes running over Neo's body. "You are on the small side but don't worry. I'm sure you'll give birth to a healthy baby girl."

"Sounds great," Neo said. Never before had she thought about if she wanted to be a parent. Right now, of course, it was only a way to find Archer and Conner. Still, it stirred up some questions she never really put much thought into. She brushed them aside. Now wasn't the time for that. "Could I see them?"

"I think that would be all right. Let's go." Melina headed out of the stone homes.

Neo followed her to one of the largest stone homes in the center of the village. Upon entering an unfamiliar, musky odor reached her nose. She tired to ignore it. "So where are they?"

"Down this hall," Melina said grabbing key off a peg near the main door.

That's when Neo noticed the stone home did have two halls, one to the left and one to the right. Both halls had several doors down them.

"Here we are," Melina said. She produced a key and opened the door. They stepped inside.

Archer and Conner were lying on their individual beds, both chained down. Neo swallowed. That would explain why there were no guards outside. She wondered if either of these two pirates had any lock picking capabilities.

"Neo," Archer said. "What are you doing here?"  
"She's decided to join us," Melina said.

"What?!" Conner and Archer gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me," Conner said while narrowing his eyebrows. "I thought we were your friends."

"Yeah well." Neo shrugged. It hurt to think Conner didn't trust her. But she knew her position looked bad right now. "I guess I got tired of that _captain_ of yours bossing me around." She stressed a few words, hoping they'd get the hint. "You know _he_ started following me around like a little puppy back in town. It got really annoying. _He_ even followed me up here. Well at least part of the way. Honestly, I wish he had _followed me_ all the way here. Then these love ladies could have taken care of him." She shrugged when Conner's glare lightened up. He understood her. Thankfully. "It doesn't matter now. I'm away from him."

"We should go now," Melina said.

Neo walked out of the room without looking back. Stepping outside she looked up to where she knew her brother and the pirates were waiting for her. They had to be at least a half a mile away from her current location. It was actually smart on the women's part. If anyone came to rescue the men they'd practically have to get through the whole village before finding them. She had to get a message to her brother. There were birds around. But to use one she needed to get alone and hoped her brother could get the message without alerting the pirates to their ability to talk to animals. "Would it be all right if I took a nap?"

"You're tired?" Melina asked.

"I am. It was a long walk up here," Neo said.

"Of course," Melina said. "I should have offered that in the first place. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Neo waved her off. "I wanted to see the men. You know, to consider which one I wanted to…mate with."

"That's what I figured. I'll walk you back to my home now," Melina said.

Neo followed her back through the village. Once inside of Melina's home the woman showed Neo to the guest room at the end of a short hall.

"Help yourself to anything that you need," Melina said. "I'll be around the village. You can asked anyone for me."

"Thanks." Neo watched her go. She waited and listened for the woman to leave. Giving it a few more minutes to make sure Melina was gone she left the room in search for some paper and a pencil. Luckily she found a pencil near the in progress basket on the floor. But she was unable to find paper. So she picked up a piece of the basket and wrote her message on there before going back to her room. Opening the window she waited for a bird to come over. When one did she held up the note. "Please, will you take this to my brother? He's over there." She pointed in the direction. "He feels like I do. We're elementals. Thank you so much."

The bird flew off. A few minutes later it returned with a message from her brother. They were coming into the village and she was to get to Archer and Conner free and wait for them. She couldn't argue this time. Jumping up she ran for the door and all the way to the place where the pirates were. No one stopped her. No one hardly even noticed she was there now. Reaching the large building she entered and grabbed the key off the wall. She opened their door and entered.

"Neo!" Archer said. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Me? You're the ones who got taken," Neo said rushing over to them. She surveyed their wounds now that she was close enough to do so. So many bruises and cuts were on their bodies, their boiler suits torn in multiple locations. Clearly they didn't stop fighting on the way up here. If only she had her solar crystal. She could heal them. Her eyes locked onto Archer's ankle. His boiler suit was very tight around it.

"Don't worry about it," Archer said. "It looks worse than it actually is."

"You're ankle looks broken," Neo said.

"It'll be fine once the captain gets a hold of me," Archer said.

"Speaking of which," Conner said. "Where is he?"

"He and the others should be coming," Neo said. "They were waiting about half a mile outside of the village. I was able to send a message to them. My brother sent one back. It told me to come here and wait."

"So is that the key to unlock these cuffs?" Conner asked.

"I don't know," Neo said. "It was the only one out there. I know Melina used it to open the door, but I was hoping it would work on your cuffs." She walked over to him and tired to free him. It didn't work. "No luck. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Conner said. "Once the captain gets here he'll warp us out of it."

War cries and cries of fear erupted outside.

"Guess the captain's here," Archer said.

"Really? What gave you that idea?" Conner rolled his eyes.

"He's cutting people up, isn't he?" Neo asked. Her eyes locked onto the window. She wanted to look out of it but didn't move closer to it.

"Yup," Conner said. "The women here will be lucky if any of them survive this."

"He's going to kill them," Neo said.

"He might," Archer said. "We don't always kill. It's only if we have to."

"Your captain doesn't give that impression," Neo said. "He seems to want to fight all the time and kill."

"You just don't know him," Archer said. "Give him a chance."

Neo exhaled. She really should give him a chance. But for some reason he wasn't as easy to get to know as the crew was. Feeling vines rise up outside brought her out of her thoughts. Just then Law warped into the room. He took one glance over them before warping his two subordinates out of their chains.

Archer hissed at the pain jolting through his ankle upon reentry.

Law knelt down and looked at him. "Broken ankle."

"That was a quick diagnosis," Neo said.

"He's that good." Archer winked through the pain.

"We need to split it with something," Law said looking around the room.

"There's nothing in here that will do that," Neo said. "But Kailen can wrap his ankle up with vines."

Law nodded and warped Kailen into the room.

"What the heck?" Kailen blinked.

"I need you to wrap his ankle once I pop it back into place," Law said.

"Sure thing," Kailen said.

Neo looked away. She didn't want to see what Law would do. She winced when Archer's bone snap and he hissed.

"All right let's get out of here," Law said before warping them outside.

The village was a mess. Several women were lying around on the ground, seemingly unconscious while others had been sliced up with Law's Room. Neo wouldn't allow herself to take a closer look. She didn't want to know if they were dead or alive.

"Archer! Conner!" Penguin called. He and the other two were fighting as best they could.

"Good to see you two are okay!" Shachi kicked a woman away from him before she could bash his head in with a club.

"We should get out of here," Kailen said putting up a wall of vines around them to prevent more women from attacking. Both he and Neo could feel the vines being hacked through. "I won't be long before they get to us."

Law warped them again and again until they were outside of the village. As the helped the two injured pirates down the mountain, Kailen lifted up as many vines as he could to stall the women along the way.

"Kailen, you're going to have to do more than just use vines," Neo whispered to him.

"I know," Kailen said. "I'm trying to block their path by lifting up the ground. It's not easy since I can't see what I'm doing and don't know where the women are."

"Just do your best," Neo said. "As long as you slow them down."

Kailen nodded.

Minutes later they crossed the bridge and all thought they were free. But that thinking was dashed when several women appeared in front of them. Among them were Melina and Olga. Olga looked displeased at Neo's betray while Melina looked on the verge of crying.

"How could you?" Melina said. "I thought we were friends?"

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "I didn't want hurt anyone. I only wanted to get my friends back."

"Friends?" Olga spat on the ground. "Men are not your friends, girl. They are pathetic. I thought I already told you that."

"You might think that," Neo said. "And in some cases you might be right. But not all men are bad. Some are good. Really good."

"You're living in a fantasy world, child," Olga said. "I'm afraid I cannot let you leave. I will undo the brainwashing the men have done on you."

"I haven't been brainwashed," Neo said raising her fists to fight.

"And you're not taking her anywhere," Penguin said stepping in front of her.

"Penguin," Neo said.

"Don't worry, Neo," Penguin said. "We don't let them hurt you."

"If they're going to hurt anyone it's going to be you," Neo said.

"Charge! And don't kill the girl!" Olga ordered. The women charged forward.

"Room." Law spread out his Room. With a slice of his sword he hacked ten of them in half.

Kailen wrapped another ten up in his vines. A few women stopped to help free their sisters while others continued to charge forward.

Neo sidestepped a punch. Kicking out her foot, she tripped a woman. Turning to face her next opponent she found it was Melina. "Melina."

"Neo, why?" Melina asked.

"I'm sorry, Melina," Neo said. "I can't allow you to continue with what you were doing. It's wrong."

"It's not," Melina said.

"Don't bother trying to reason with her," Law said. "They're far too set in their believes to change."

"Silence man!" Melina hissed. She charged at him.

"No!" Neo ran after her.

"You're not going to interfere!" Olga leaped in her way, throwing a punch at her.

Neo gasped. With no time to move she took Olga's punch right in the stomach. All the air left her lungs as her body when flying backwards. Blood expelled from her mouth when she slammed into a solid force. Her body crumbled to the ground. Through blurry eyes she watched the pirates and her brother fight before she blacked out.

"Neo? Neo?" Kailen called.

Neo opened her eyes to her brother's worried face. "Kai…what happened?"

"You got the wind knocked out of you," Kailen said. "That's what."

"Oh, right." Neo sat up. Looking around she found the battle had ended while she was out. Everyone looked to be okay. No life threatening injuries. "It's over."

"It is," Kailen said. "We should head back to the sub now."

"Does anything hurt?" Law asked.

"Not really," Neo said.

"Can you walk?" Law asked.

"Yeah." Neo stood up.

Once more their tired group inched their way down the mountain. They only stopped occasionally to rest before moving again. Other than that the only other stop they made was to put the goats back together. Neo stayed with the animals for a while to make sure they weren't traumatized but also to annoy Law. Eventually, she pulled herself away from the goats. The mountain air grew colder as the sun set low in the horizon. The light was almost completely gone by the time they got back to the harbor.

"Hey! Where have you all been?" a crewmate called out. "We've been looking everywhere for you all!"

Law wrapped them onto the sub. "Take them to the infirmary. I'll be there in a minute."

"Aye, Captain." The crew helped their two injured crewmates into the sub.

Law dropped to his knees, panting hard.

"What's wrong? You okay?" Neo asked.

"Just tired," Law said.

"How can you be this tired when all you've really done is warp us?" Neo asked. "It doesn't make sense. We all fought too but we're nowhere near as tired as you are."

Law closed his eyes and said, "The more I use my powers the more drained I get."

"Why didn't you say so before?!" Neo demanded. "We could have done something different!"

"Like what?" Law asked.

"Well, I…" Neo didn't know. "You still should have told us."

"There was no real point," Law said. "Besides it's not something I just blab to anyone. If my enemies knew about that then they would use it to their advantage."

"Oh, I guess that would make sense," Neo said.

Law stood up and disappeared into the sub.

"Do you think he's going to trust us with that secret?" Neo asked.

"Hard to say," Kailen said. "I don't think it really matters though. We would have eventually noticed at some point."

"I guess you're right," Neo said.

"Anything hurting now?" Kailen asked.

"No," Neo said. "Just a bit sore and tired. I think I'll sleep well tonight."

"I hope so," Kailen said while leading her into the sub.

While Kailen went downstairs, Neo went up to check on the pirates in the medical bay. She entered into a room and found Conner being patched up by Penguin. "How you doing?"

"Fine. Solid as a rock," Conner said.

"He's only like that now that you're in here," Penguin said dabbing some antibiotic ointment on one of Conner's many scratches. "He was complaining about the ointment stinging a second ago."

"Hey!" Conner protested. "I was not!"

"I'm glad you're okay," Neo said. "I was worried that they would have really hurt you two."

"Wait a second," Conner said when she moved to leave the room.

"What is it?" Neo turned back to him

"I'm sorry about doubting you before," Conner said.

"It's all right," Neo said. "We still don't know each other very well. I would have reacted the same way. I'm just glad you and Archer understood the message I was trying to give you. So don't worry about it. We can work on building up trust some more. If you want that is."

"I want that." Conner smiled.

Law clearing his throat brought their attention to him. "Miss Neo, we have to talk."

"Oh goodie," Neo said rolling her eyes.

"Go easy on her, Captain," Conner said. "She did help rescue us after all."

Law turned and walked out of the room.

Neo glanced at Penguin and Conner before following after him. They walked down the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"To a place we can talk without being interrupted," Law said.

"Can't this wait until later? I wanted to go check on Archer." Neo looked over her shoulders. The stairs to the medical bay was long gone. She huffed.

"Archer is just fine," Law said turning down the hall towards his room. "I wrapped his ankle and gave him some crutches. Now all he can do is wait and heal."

"Yeah." Neo started down at the floor. Guilt hammered her. If she had her solar crystal she could help Archer heal faster. She paused when he entered into his room. "What are you doing?"

"I told you," Law said. "We're going to talk. No one will bother us in here. Now get inside."

Neo hesitated. Sure she had been in his room before with him in there, but this time felt different somehow. With a gulp, she walked into the room. She almost jumped when he closed the door. Her pulse thumped under her skin. "Okay. We're here."

"What you did was extremely stupid," Law said.

"Don't hold back." Neo crossed her arms.

"You don't seem to understand how the world works," Law said. "It was extremely dangerous for you to go up there on your own."

"It came out all right," Neo said.

"It might not have," Law said. "What you did was uncalled for."

"Uncalled for?" Neo stared at him in disbelief. "Uncalled for?! You call wanting to help someone uncalled for?!"

"I expect you to listen to me," Law said. "I am the captain."

"You might be the _captain_ but you're not _my_ captain," Neo said.

"How many times do I have to tell you that if you sail on my sub you will follow my orders?" Law said.

"That's up to you," Neo said.

Law exhaled. "I can understand you wanted to help them. And I do appreciate that and thank you. However this is the Grand Line. I have no idea what goes on where you grew up but I guarantee it's not going to be like that out here. People will want to hurt you."

"I know that," Neo said. "I'm not stupid."

"What you did was stupid. So, yes, you are stupid," Law said.

Neo growled. Her pulsed hammered against her skin. If she could have hit him, and got away with it, she would have. "Fine. Then I admit it. I'm stupid. But at least I'm not a barbarian. You didn't have to kill anyone nor did you have to slice them into a million pieces."

"You don't seem to understand the fact that we are pirates," Law countered. "We don't take our enemies lightly. That could be a very deadly mistake."

"Those women were not your enemies," Neo said. "If you had only spoken to them you would have seen that."

"Talking to people like that wouldn't do anyone good. I am a pirate," Law said. "I'm going to do what I have to do to protect my crew."

"There's no reason you can't be both a pirate and a gentleman. You're nothing more than a savage bend on shedding as much blood as you can," Neo said. She moved to leave the room, to end the conversation.

Law grabbed her arm and pinned her to the wall.

"What are you doing?!" Neo demanded. "Release me at once!"

"Do _not_ order me around, Miss Neo." Law's voice was low, dangerous, calculating.

Neo shivered. His voice was so cold. His eyes even colder. Pressing her back more into the wall, he peered into her eyes, searching for something. She gulped. Her arms trembled under his touch and his gaze. Then it happened. His cold glare gave way to realization. He knew something. She had unintentionally given something away. But what was it?

"You have a personally relationship to a pirate crew," Law said. "Don't you, Miss Neo?"

Neo's breath hitched in her lungs. So that was it. From everything she had said he managed to figure out she knew someone that was a pirate.

"I see," Law said. "So that's why you think pirates should be nice to everyone. The pirates you know are like that."

"That's not true," Neo said.

"Yes, it is," Law said. "If you have met any other pirates you would have known that they are not all the same. While a rare few might be benevolent to people more are not. So who's the pirate crew? Who do you know?"

Neo licked her lips, drawing Law's eyes to them before he shot them back up to her eyes.

"Is this pirate crew part of your family back home?" Law asked. "Or are they just friends you happen to know?"

Neo was unable to stop a flinch.

"Then it's your godfather?" Law asked.

"Don't change the subject," Neo said.

"I haven't done that at all," Law said. "We're still on the same topic."

"What do you want from me then?" Neo asked.

"I think we both know I want the truth from you," Law said. His eyes dropped back down to her lips for a second before he looked at her again. "But we both also know that we're not going to get anywhere with that."

"Well, you were the one who brought us onto your sub," Neo said. "Just get us to Sabaody and you'll never have to see us again."

Thoughts ran around in Law's eyes.

Neo wondered what he was thinking. Her heart jumped. Was he thinking of a way to keep them on his sub until they told him everything? Was he even going to take them to Sabaody?

"Maybe," Law said. "But if you pull one more stupid stunt like you did today I will lock you up indefinitely."

"I'll keep that in mind, _Captain_ ," Neo purred.

Law frowned and pulled away from her.

Neo was glad he moved. Her body relaxed now she had more room to move. When he opened the door she left without another word and without looking at him.

…

Law sighed and closed his door. That woman was going to drive him insane. Never before had he met a woman like her. Most women feared him because of his pirate reputation while others flirted with him in an attempt to get him to bed with them, some even tried to collect his bounty by flirting. This Neo did neither. She didn't fear him and she didn't flirt with him. It was a first, a very confusing, conflicting first. Part of the time he liked that she wasn't trying to get him into bed. The other half of the time he liked that she didn't fear him. And she argued with him like no one else did.

While it was becoming more and more noticeable that Neo was starting to care about his crew, she still was naïve about the world. And if he read her reactions correctly she did know a pirate crew. But who was it? Was it someone he knew? Would the pirate crew attack his own once they knew Neo and Kailen were prisoners on his sub? He rubbed his neck and walked over to his desk. He sat down. Placing his sword and hat on his desktop, he ran his hands over his face then through his hair. Maybe it was a bad idea to bring them onto the sub after all. If only he hadn't taken that walk. None of this would have happened.

But despite all the trouble she had caused and was going to cause, he still wanted her and her brother on his sub. He wanted to know what all they could do with their crystals. Despite Kailen only using his crystals to manipulate vines, he got the feeling they could do so much more. If they could learn to trust each other they would be very powerful allies to him. His mind spun with hundreds of possible outcomes to that thought. Since Neo went through his room before it was highly possible she found his in progress plans to take down Doflamingo. That man would never suspect someone like Neo and her brother to fight against him. Or he didn't think so. He had no idea how many others there were with the crystals. Doflamingo might know about them. His thoughts all ended up mixing together to the point he couldn't think clearly. In the end the only thing he could do was wait and see what happened. And keep his word to lock her up if she pulled anything again like she did today.

…

"Stupid jerk." Neo stomped up the stairs. "And a hypocrite. He's a pirate and can do whatever he wants yet I can't? Stupid jerk."

"He's right though," Kailen said when she reached the main floor. "What you did was stupid. You should know better than that."

Neo paused. Looking at him she ran her eyes over the cuts and bruises on his skin. Thanks to him using his vines as shields he got less of them than the pirates did.

"What were you thinking?" Kailen asked.

"That I didn't want them to get hurt or…" Neo trailed off.

"Get killed," Kailen finished. "I get it now. You were trying to save them because you couldn't save our parents."

"Maybe," Neo mumbled.

"Neo, you have to stop blaming yourself for that," Kailen said. "It wasn't your fault."

Neo continued on up the stairs without answering him. It was her fault. She was, is, the royal to their people She should have been able to sense the darkness around them. She should have noticed Atlas was different. She should have noticed.

"Neo?"

Neo looked up to find she had entered into Archer's recovery room already. "Uh, hey."

"You look upset," Archer said. "Something wrong?"

"I guess. I just had another charming talk with your captain," Neo said.

"I should have known that's what it was," Archer said. "It's like you two can't talk at all without arguing over something."

"How's your ankle?" Neo looked at his bandaged leg.

"Much better," Archer said. "There's no pain since I got some painkillers from the captain."

"That's good to hear," Neo said. "How long are you going to have to be on those?" She nodded to the crutches near his bed.

"About six weeks," Archer said.

"I'm sorry," Neo said.

"Nothing for you to apologize for," Archer said.

"You going to be all right on those things?" Neo asked. "What about the sub?"

"No worries," Archer said. "This isn't the first time I've had a broken bone. The crutches won't be a problem. And we have plenty of others who can pilot the sub."

"That's good." She paused. "Can I ask you something on a more personal level?"

"Sure," Archer said.

"Would you think it would be stupid if I tried to come save you and Conner myself?" Neo asked.

Archer hummed. "Well, honestly?"

Neo nodded. "Please."

"Yes," Archer said.

Neo flinched.

"But I would have done the same as you if I was in your position," Archer said.

"So you knew about it?" Neo asked.

"I had a guess when the captain was fixing my ankle," Archer said. "Though I wasn't sure until now."

Neo sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Archer said. "The captain is only doing what he's suppose to do. Cut him a bit of slack. You might not think so but he knows what he's doing. He's been a pirate since he was ten years old."

"He was a pirate at ten?" Neo asked. "Really?"  
"Uh, yeah." Archer nodded.

"Why so young? Was his parents pirates?" Neo asked.

"Sorry." Archer rubbed his neck. "I can't answer that. If you want to know you'll have to ask the captain himself."

Neo nodded. While she was curious about the captain's past now she had no plans of asking him about it, but she was going to cut him a little slack. No, she knew she needed to do just that. She was still upset about her parents and was still taking it out on the captain here. She _was_ going to cut him some slack.

"I know you don't want to talk," Archer then said. "But you know you can talk to us if you ever want to. Despite being pirates we're still pretty good listeners. Penguin would love to listen. You two spend a lot of time in the galley."

Neo nodded. She knew she could talk to them. But she just wasn't ready to open up to them yet.

"You know your brother is really amazing. The way he snapped out his vines and wrapped those women up," Archer said mimicking the moves with his arms. "I can't wait to see what you can do when you get the use of your crystals back."

Neo, unsure of what to say, nodded again. She knew Kailen was holding back on his crystals. And with the trouble they had today she wondered if that was a good idea or not.


	16. A Subtle Shift in the Tide

A Subtle Shift in the Tide

"This is extremely stupid," Neo said.

"What's stupid is you walking backwards down the stairs and thinking you'll be able to catch me if I happen to fall," Archer said lowering himself down to the next step.

"Well, you shouldn't be walking down the stairs," Neo said. "You should be using the ramps."

Archer laughed. "Maybe. But I like the stairs better."

Neo growled.

"You're like an over protective mother," Archer said.

"And there's nothing wrong with that." Neo narrowed her eyebrows at him. "And I'll continue to do as I wish, and worry, as long as I'm on this sub."

"I'm sure you will," Archer said just as they reached the third floor.

"You shouldn't even be up," Neo said. Walking right beside him she scanned the floor for any possible hazards that would cause him to slip and fall.

"I'm fine to be up," Archer said. "I've spent enough time in that recovery room as it is. I need a change of scenery."

"Change of scenery," Neo said. "How are you going to take a shower? You can't stand on that foot or get it wet!"

"Well, if you're thinking about giving me a sponge bath," Archer said. "Forget it."

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks. She stuttered, "N-no! O-of course not! I didn't…I wasn't…"

"Calm down." Archer laughed. "I'm teasing. I know you're not going to do that."

"Oh!" Neo puffed out her cheeks.

"That's a cute look for you." Archer turned and sat down on the couch. "You should keep it."

"Oh, hush. You comfortable enough?" Neo asked while Archer settled down on the couch in the rec. room. She fussed and fluffed the pillow underneath his ankle. "Do you need another pillow for your foot?"

"No, I don't need another pillow," Archer said.

"So you're going to milk your little boo boo since we have a pretty young woman onboard." The two turned to see Penguin leaning against the doorframe.

"You're just jealous I'm getting all of Neo's attention now." Archer smirked.

"So jealous," Penguin said. "I only get to spent time with her in the galley making food for you three times a day."

"Then you'll survive," Archer said.

Neo wasn't sure but she thought Penguin rolled his eyes in response. "Did you need something?"  
"Not really," Penguin said. "I was thinking about making some cookies and wondered if you wanted to help. That is, if I can pull you away from Milking the Injury Archer."

"Cute," Archer said. "You should write that down."

"Yes, I can help." Neo looked at Archer. "Do you need anything?"

"You could grab me one of those books off the shelf." Archer jerked his thumb to the bookshelf."

"Sure thing." Neo stepped over to the bookshelf. "Anything in particular?"

"No. Just randomly grab one," Archer said.

"Even if it's one of the ones I bought?" Neo pulled the book off and held it out to him.

"That'll do." Archer took the book and opened it.

Neo gave him one last look before following Penguin out of the room. The rest of the crew was wondering around so if he needed anything he would be able to get help.

"Is it typical for you to fuss over someone like that?" Penguin asked.

"Is that bad?" Neo asked.

"No," Penguin said. "I just haven't seen you do it before. But then none of use have been injured yet."

"I guess I do," Neo said. "I did fuss over my friends and family when they got sick or hurt back home. It's not like I plan to do it. It just happens."

"And here's nothing wrong with that," Penguin said. "It only means you care. Still, don't let him get away with having you do too much. He might be hurt but he's not helpless."

"I know." Neo nodded. "I only want to help."

"You're so nice." Penguin smiled. They stepped into the kitchen. Dancing around each other, they pulled out everything they needed.

"So what kind are we making?" Neo asked.

"The crew favors sugar cookies and chocolate chip," Penguin said.

"Sounds good to me," Neo said. Washing her hands she tied an apron around her waist then started on the chocolate chips cookies while Penguin did the sugar cookies. In a fit of childishness she started slicing up the chocolate chips and placed them on the cookies in the shape of the Heart's Jolly Roger.

"You're being awfully quiet there." Penguin glanced over at her. He attempted to stifle a laugh but was unable to. "What are you doing? That's hilarious!"

"I don't know. I just felt like doing it," Neo said. "Do you think the crew will like them?"  
"They're going to love them," Penguin said.

"And your captain?" Neo asked.

"Most likely he'll be indifferent," Penguin said.

"He needs to lighten up some," Neo said.

Penguin shrugged. "I'm use to it."

With one cookie sheet done each, they put them into the oven and waited for them to be done cooking.

"Something smells good," Shachi said entering the galley. "Sugar cookies and chocolate chips?"

"And you're not getting any of them until they're done completely," Penguin said slapping Shachi's hand away from the dough.

"Aw, come on," Shachi said. "Just one?"  
"No," Penguin said. "Raw cookie dough isn't good for you anyway."

"Hasn't hurt me yet," Shachi said. "Besides, it's just one." His eyes dropped to the chocolate chip cookies. "Is that our Jolly Roger on those?"

"I couldn't help myself," Neo admitted. "Do you like them?"

"I think they're cute." Shachi picked one up, looked at it, and then tossed it into his mouth.

"Hey! What did I just say?!" Penguin said.

"What?" Shachi said around the cookie dough. "You slapped me away from the sugar cookies. You didn't do anything for the chocolate chip cookies."

"I meant it for all of them!" Penguin said. "Neo! Back me up here!"

"Uh, well, it's okay," Neo said. "It was just one."

"You really are going to spoil the crew," Penguin said.

"Sorry." Neo smiled.

"Don't worry about it." Shachi stepped around the counter. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he nuzzled against her cheek. "We'll love you more for it."

"You're so sweet," Neo said.

"Well, as long as we don't eat too many sweets it'll be all right," Penguin said.

"Why's that?" Neo asked.

"The captain wants us to remain as healthy as we can," Penguin said.

"Yeah. We have to remain strong to we can fight our enemies and find the One Piece," Shachi said. "Can't do that if we're overweight and huffing and puffing for air."

"I don't think you all will ever get that big no matter how many sweets you eat," Neo said. "You're all very fit."

"Well, we would remain strong if we kept working out," Penguin said. "But if we stopped all this muscle will turn into flab. We're not all naturally skinny like you, Neo."

Neo looked down at herself. "I guess I did inherited that from my mom."

"She was small too, huh?" Shachi leaned against the counter.

Neo nodded. "She was."

"When did she die?" Shachi asked.

Neo flinched. She bit her bottom lip to keep the tears from falling.

"Sorry," Shachi said. "I didn't realize it was that recent."

"It's fine." Neo brushed the tears way. "I don't want to talk about her."

"Oh, hey! The cookies look done!" Penguin stepped over to the oven. Opening it he grabbed the potholder and pulled them out of the oven. "We're ready for the next batch."

Neo picked up the pans and shoved them into the oven. Her eyes paused on the contraption. The first time she had cooked with Penguin he already had the stove going. Since then she had to pay close attention to how the stove and oven worked so she could pretend she knew what she was doing. Lucky for her it didn't take long at all to learn how they worked. She straightened up and turned to them. "So, how many people does your captain want on his crew?"

"He doesn't have a set number," Penguin said.

"We'll take about anyone as long as they're loyal to the crew and are strong enough," Shachi said.

"I noticed you all seem to rely on your hand to hand combat skills," Neo said. "Is that a requirement for joining?"

"No," Shachi said. "Our crewmembers can specialize in any kind of fighting they want."

"Think you'll add anymore devil fruit users to the crew?" Neo asked.

"Hard to say," Penguin said. "But it's possible."

"Why all the questions all of a sudden?" Shachi asked.

"Curiosity," Neo said. That and she wanted to compare them to her Godfather's crew. Right now the Heart Pirates were nowhere near her Godfather's level. But she knew it was only a matter of time before some rookie pirate crew targeted him and the other emperors. Then reality hit her. This crew was her Godfather's enemy. What would she do if they came face to face with each other? Would she be able to sit by and watch them fight? Or would she betray the Heart Pirates to her Godfather? She glanced up at Penguin and Shachi. They were lost in their own conversation so they didn't notice her rising anxiety. She breathed in. It was a possibility but most likely it would happen long after she and her brother returned to Luminous. There was no need to think about it.

…

Law leaned back from his book and stretched out his body. Bending over his books studying for the past three hours had finally caught up to him. His entire body was screaming for a break. Pushing back from his deck he stood up and left his room. Stepping out into the hall he was greeted by the smell of warm chocolate. It pulled him downstairs to the galley. Laughter from his crew found him once he reached the third floor. He paused at the door to listen in on his crew.

"These are amazing!"

"Yeah!"

"Neo, you are an amazing cook!"

"I say we should hire her on as our chef!"

Law peaked inside. Several of his crew was gathered at the tables with the cookies and glasses of milk, or whatever they felt like drinking. Neo was at the center of it all. Whether she put herself there or not, he wasn't sure.

"Thank you," Neo said. "But I'm not that good."

Clearly she was modest. So he figured his crew surrounded her on their own.

"You are too!" Archer said. "I would really love it if you did become our cook forever."

"You just want her to spoil you like she's been doing." Shachi punched his crewmate on the arm.

"Hey! Don't hit me! I'm wounded already!" Archer protested but his smile never wavered.

"As much fun as the sounds," Neo said. "I can't. You all know that we have to find our godfather."

"Yeah, we know," Archer said. "Still, if you ever consider becoming a pirate you should join our crew."

"I'll keep that in mind." Neo smiled thought she knew if she joined any pirate crew it would be Shanks'.

Law's eyes locked onto her smile. It was sweet and very genuine. Something that was rare seen on her but was becoming more frequent. He's seen it before but there was something different about this smile. It caused something to stir inside of him, something possible dangerous. Now that he knew Neo and Kailen were connected to another pirate crew it wasn't the smartest thing to let them get close with the crew. There was the possibility that their pirate crew would be there enemies at some point in time. Technically, as opposing pirate crews, they were already enemies. But what would happen if they happened to meet up? Would Neo and Kailen betray their, his, secrets to their pirate crew? They were, after all, his prisoners. They had no loyalty to him to keep anything they learned on his sub and crew a secret from anyone. Unfortunately, there was no real way to stop it. His crew already enjoyed having the two onboard. Even if he wanted to kick them off his sub he couldn't. So he just walked away. Leaving everything up to fate.

…

"So much for keeping your healthy diets," Neo said once the majority of the crew had left the galley. The plates that held the cookies were almost empty.

"We'll have to make more next time," Penguin said.

"Or make them taste terrible," Shachi said. "That'll stop the crew from eating them."

"How good are you at baking pies?" Archer asked.

"I'm okay," Neo said. "I guess."

"Then you'll have to make some so we can see," Archer said.

"Well, we'll see," Neo said. She reached for the empty glasses. Suddenly the sub dipped into the water. The crew and elementals were thrown off their feet. Glass shattered on the floor. Alarms shrilled throughout the vessel.

"Ah!" Penguin screamed while doing his best to dodge the broken glass.

Kailen summoned his crystals and shot out some vines over the broken glass, letting the pirate fall onto them instead. "What the heck was that?"

"Why are there alarms going off?" Neo asked. "What's going on?"

"Something must have happened with the sub," Penguin said. "Thanks a lot, Kailen. That would have hurt."

Kailen nodded.

"Listen up, everyone," Conner's voice then said over the voice pipe system. "There's an issue with the ballast tanks. We're going to have do an emergency docking. It's going get a bit rocky so hold on."

The sub bounced again.

"Ballast tanks?" Neo asked staying close to the floor.

"There are spaces in between the two hulls that can be filled with either air or water. These are called the ballast tanks and, with the diving planes, they give a sub control over its buoyancy, particularly during the first part of a dive or a return to the surface from the depths," Shachi said. "When the ballast tanks are filled with air, the submarine rises to the surface because it has positive buoyancy. With water inside the tanks, the sub has negative buoyancy so it sinks deeper into the ocean. The tanks at the front, known as the front trim tanks, are usually filled with water or air first, so the submarine's bow falls or rises before its stern. The ballast tanks can also be used to help a submarine surface very quickly in an emergency."

The sub continued to bounce, causing the pirates to be thrown around more. Then finally after several minutes of the harsh treatment the sub settled down.

"Please tell me it's over," Archer said hanging upside down from his chair.

"I think it is," Shachi said.

"We're fine now," Conner then said over the voice pipe. "We've reached an island."

"Thanks for telling us," Penguin grumbled.

"Ouch." Neo rubbed her head. "That was not fun at all."

"Did you hit your head very hard?" Kailen took her head in his hands and examined her.

"No," Neo said. "At least that happened after we got the cookies done."

"Yeah. It would not have been fun to have hot cookies and cookie sheets flying over the galley," Penguin said. Picking himself up off the floor he walked over to a small closet and pulled out a broom and dustpan then cleaned up the broken glass.

"How are you doing, Archer?" Neo asked.

"I'll survive," Archer said straightening himself up. "Though if this was something preventable I'm going to wring Conner's neck."

"Everyone all right in here?" Law came rushing into the galley.

"A bit shaken up but we'll all live," Shachi said.

"Shachi, Penguin, help the rest of the crew do a sweep of the sub," Law said. "I want to know if anything got damaged during that little episode."

"Aye." The two pirates headed out of the room.

"What do you want us to do?" Kailen asked.

"You can stay here since you're not as familiar with the sub as the others," Law said before leaving the room.

"So where do you think we docked at?" Neo asked.

"Most likely just an uninhabited island," Archer said. "If I remember what Bepo said the other day it's going to take us at least four more weeks to get to the next island."

"I hope nothing is torn up with the sub," Kailen said.

"If it is Conner will be able to fix it," Archer said. "Since we don't have any orders why don't we head up to the deck and see what's out there?"

"If you're up to it," Neo said.

"I am." Archer nodded before using the table to pull himself to his feet.

Kailen picked up his crutches and handed them to him before they left the galley. To speed things up, Kailen used vines to lift Archer up the stairs. The door was already opened by the time they reached it.

"Everything looks good over here. Any damaged on that side?"

"No. I don't see anything."

Neo glanced over the side to find a couple of the pirates were in the water with a transponder snail. She assumed they were looking for external damage.

"Looks like no one lives here," Archer said.

Neo looked over to the island. A thick forest was covering it.

"Or they're on the other side," Kailen said.

"All well." Archer shrugged. "It doesn't matter. At least this is a good place to camp."

Neo looked down. He was right. There was a grassy area prime for camping. It kept them close to the sub and they could see if any other ships were sailing in. They waited on the deck for about twenty minutes before Bepo and Law came outside.

"How is the sub, Captain?" Archer asked.

"The only damage found was in the engine room," Law said. "Some pipes busted and forced water into the ballast tanks."

"Can it be fixed?" Kailen asked.

"It can but it'll take a few days," Law said. "So we're going to camp here until the sub is fixed. Go ahead and set up camp."

Neo took a quick glance at the captain before looking away. They hadn't said a full sentence to each other since their little tiff with the mountain women.

"Sure thing, Captain," Archer said.

"I'll help too," Bepo said as Law headed back inside.

"Kai, lift Archer down to the island," Neo said.

Kailen summoned an earth crystal. Wrapping a vine around Archer, he lifted the pirate off the sub before climbing down himself.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Shachi called as he and Penguin rushed out of the sub. "We're coming too."

"Great." Neo climbed down the ladder.

"We should clear a spot for a fire first," Archer said. "And get some firewood. Since I can't carry anything right now I'll clear some grass."

"I'll help you with that," Kailen said.

"I guess that leaves us to get the firewood," Neo said.

"Let's go," Penguin said. The group of four headed into the woods. Penguin and Shachi stay closed together while Neo and Bepo walked away from them.

"I should stick close to you," Bepo said.

"Captain's orders?" Neo asked.

"No, I want to," Bepo said.

Neo smiled. She loved the bear so much already.

"Mind if I ask you a question?" Bepo asked a few minutes later.

"I guess." Neo grabbed another branch.

"Why do you smell so sweet?" Bepo said. "I mean you smell sweet and like nature."

"Honestly, I'm not really sure," Neo said. "Our nature smell pretty much comes from our crystals. But as for me smelling sweet? I really don't have an answer for that." Guilt hammered her hard. She did have an answer. It was because she was a royal. "I was just born with it like my crystals."

"I like it," Bepo said.

"You're so sweet," Neo said smiling.

"We should head back now," Bepo said. "I think we got enough wood for a while."

Neo looked at their full arms. They could and would come back for some more later. So they headed back to the camp where Kailen and Archer had a spot cleared.

"That should do it," Kailen said. "No grass should catch on fire now."

Neo and Bepo sat their wood down. Archer grabbed some sticks and started piling them together. Ripping off few dry leaves from a branch, he struck a match and lit them before placing them under the wood. He blew into it. Soon the wood crackled from the flame. Smoke lifted into the air.

Penguin and Shachi returned a few minutes later. They set their wood down then sat down themselves. One by one the rest of the crew started to join them, most with their camping gear. Penguin said, "I hope it doesn't rain. I'd like to sleep outside while we can."

"It doesn't look like storms are coming," Shachi said glancing at the sky. "Maybe we should try and get in some fishing while we're here?"  
"Sounds good to me," Penguin said. "Want to join us, Neo?"  
Neo hummed. Never before had she used a pole and hook. Her fishing involved getting into the water and chasing the fish. "I don't know."

"Ah, come on. It'll be fun," Penguin said.

"I might sit with you guys, but I really don't feel up to jamming a hook in a fish's mouth," Neo said.

"Sorry." Penguin ducked his head. "I shouldn't have asked. I forgot about your love for animals."

"Don't worry about it," Neo said. "I know you all just aren't use to having someone like us around. You can still fish."

Penguin nodded.

A couple of hours past before the pirates decided to start fishing. With nothing else to do Neo followed them. Sitting on the edge of the island, she dipped her bare feet into the cool water. Her eyes locked onto the water lapping up on her ankles. A longing to jump into the water almost over took her. If she did jump in it would be the only time she has without her crystals. She was a decent swimmer. However there were still times when she could have gotten herself into some life threatening trouble with strong currents. During those times she always used her crystals to get her out of them. They couldn't save her now if she went in and got into trouble. She sighed.

"Something wrong?" Penguin asked.

"No," Neo said leaning back on her hands. "Just a bit bored I guess."

"Fishing can be like that at times, especially when the fish aren't biting," Penguin said. "But at least we don't have to fight."

"That is a plus," Shachi said.

"As long as no other pirates or marines or mountain women show up." Neo looked over the ocean. No ship was in sight but that didn't mean they weren't there just outside of her gaze.

"I doubt we'll see any mountain women," Shachi said. "There're no mountains here." His line dipped into the water. He pulled it in with a decent size fish. "Hey! I got one!"

Neo turned her eyes away from the fish. She didn't want to look at it hanging on a hook. It was hard enough listening to it wonder why it was out of the water. The pirates pulled in six more fish before she got up and headed back to the fire. Sitting down she stretched out her legs so her cold, wet feet could warm up by the fire.

"Couldn't handle it, huh?" Kailen whispered to her.

Neo nodded. "I had my fill." Her eyes flickered over to the captain. He was leaning back against a napping Bepo with his hat down over his eyes. It was impossible to tell if he was napping as well or if he was just observing things. Paranoia tapped at her brain forcing her to remove her eyes from the man. She was staring at him longer than she should have. It unnerved her. She shifted. "So do you think it'll rain while we're here?"  
"Most likely," Kailen said. "These flora here is way too lush. Clearly this island gets a lot of rain."

Neo dropped her eyes down to the grass. Placing her hand on it she found it soft under her skin. "It'll be nice sleeping out here. It'll be like when we were kids."

"Ah, those were the days," Kailen said. "I'm sure we drove the guards crazy with all our camp outs."

"It's their own fault," Neo said. "They didn't have to be there."

Kailen shook his head. Both knew they would be there whether or not they wanted to.

"So what are you two whispering about over here?" Archer scooted closer to them.

"About our past camp outs," Neo said. "We use to do this a lot when we were kids."

"You're lucky. My family and I never did camping trips," Archer said. "So I love it when we get to sleep outside. The world is completely different at night. And being out here in the open sea you can see so many stars."

Neo lifted her eyes to the sky. It was only about three in the afternoon. They'd have to wait to see the stars. Her eyes dropped down to Law. She wondered how he felt about sleeping outside and looking up at the stars. She jammed her thumbnail into her thigh to force her brain off the captain. There was no way she actually cared about his thoughts on the subject matter.

…

Two days past since they landed on this island. Conner was still repairing the sub. The pirates and Kailen were keeping busy by sparring with each other, fishing, and going for swims. Neo only did a little sparring with her brother and Conner. The rest of the pirates didn't want to fight her no matter how many times she said she didn't mind and could take whatever they threw at her. So most of the time she just sat and stared at the fire or out at the horizon or watched the crew spar. Animals, like always, scurried over to check her and her brother out. They got a lot of odd looks from the pirates when they spoke to them. Well, she got more than Kailen did. She always spoke more to animals than her brother. It was something she couldn't control. Though she had no idea if it was an impulse or just an unbreakable habit. Either way, there was no way she was going to stop talking to animals. She loved them far too much. But now, with her tolerance on boredom dwindling fast, she jumped to her feet.

"Hey, Bepo." Neo latched onto his arm when he past by. "Will you go for a walk with me? I'm getting bored with sitting around here."

"Sure," Bepo said. "But why me? Why not the others?"

"Because they're busy," Neo said. "Besides I haven't spent any alone time with you."

"I guess that's true," Bepo said. "All right then. Where shall we go?"

"Yeah! Let's go walking around in the forest for a while." Neo pulled him towards the woods. Sensing someone watching her, she glanced back to find the captain watching them walk away. Before she could study the look in his eyes, he dropped his head so his hat hid them. "Hm?"  
"Something wrong?" Bepo asked.

"It's nothing." Neo faced forward. The hot sun vanished over the trees as they stepped inside of the forest. "Think we'll find anything here?"

"Like what?" Bepo asked.

"I don't know," Neo said looking around. "Maybe some ruins? Or broken down houses? While there doesn't appear to be anyone living here now it doesn't mean someone didn't live here before."

"Makes sense," Bepo said. Suddenly, he paused. The sudden movement forced Neo to back petal.

"What the…?" Neo glanced up at the bear. His nose was twitching. She barely managed to suppress a squeal at how cute he looked.

"I though I smelled someone," Bepo said.

"One of the crew?" Neo scanned her eyes over the forest.

"No," Bepo said. "This scent was different."

"Well, maybe another ship landed and they're looking for food?" Neo offered.

"Possibly." He started walking again. They walked for fifteen minutes before making a very unwelcome discovery.

"What the…?" Neo halted in her tracks. Her heart slammed against her chest. The air in her lungs vanished. Her stomach turned violently. She gagged before she knelt down to the animal's body. It's claws, head, and fur was missing. Her head spun with confusion and pain. "What is this? Why is this animal like this? I don't…I don't understand."

"Looks like a poacher is around here somewhere," Bepo said. "This kill looks recent."

"Poacher?" Neo looked up at him. "I don't understand. What's a poacher?"

"You don't know what a poacher is?" Bepo asked.

Neo shook her head.

"It's a person who hunts an animal for a trophy," Bepo said. "Depending on the animal they take different things from it. Like if a deer or moose has really big horns they'd take them and leave the rest. Some kills animals for their fur, their teeth, tusks, stuff like that."

"And they leave the rest here?" Neo asked.

"They do." Bepo nodded.

Her fingers curled around the grass, ripping it from its roots. Sadness flooded into Neo's chest. Her breathing came in short, sharp gasps. "No…it can't…how…could…"

"Calm down, Neo." Bepo knelt down beside her and placed a paw on her shoulder.

"It hurts." Neo clenched her eyes closed. She wrapped her arms around herself in a useless attempt to protect herself from this horrible sight. "So much pain."

"What are you talking about?" Bepo asked.

"Them." With tears streaming down her cheeks she looked to her left. There sticking their heads out of a bush was two bear cubs.

"Are those…?" Bepo trailed off.

"Yes." Neo nodded. "They're this bear's cubs. They don't understand why their mother won't move." She trembled. "They're so scared."

"But how do you know that?" Bepo looked back at her.

Neo trembled. This time it was the devastation of the event that kept her quiet.

"We should get out of here," Bepo said. "The poacher is probably still around. It might have been his scent I smelt before."

Neo didn't move.

"Neo," Bepo said. "Did you hear me?"

Neo nodded, slowly. "I did. I'm just…this is too much. I never knew. I never knew something like this happened."

"You never knew about poachers," Bepo said. He watched at the two bear cubs wondered over and snuggled up to her side. "Who exactly are you?"

Neo sighed, stroking the cubs' fur. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to your mother. If I had known I would have stopped this."

"You're talking to animals again." Bepo looked around, unsure of what to do now.

"Well, look at what we have here," a man said.

Neo and Bepo whipped around. Standing there was a man dressed in dark green wielding a large gun. The tanned skin of his arms were marked up with scars.

"Two little bear cubs I missed, a beautiful young woman, and a talking bear," the man said. "Looks like I just hit the jackpot."

"Who are you?!" Bepo growled.

The cubs cried and tried to get closer to Neo. "It was you. You killed their mother."

"Indeed it was me," he said. "I am Rico, the best beast hunter in the world. I travel all over in search of beast for clients."

"You're sick," Neo hissed. Clouds rolled in overhead shrouding the forest floor with shadows.

The flora surrounding them shifted. The unexpected movement brought Bepo's eyes to them. The flowers and bushes grew in front of him. "What's going on?"

"Sick? People kill all the time," Rico said. "This is the same thing."

"It's not the same!" Neo snapped. "You killed their mother for trophies! You didn't kill her for food or survival! This was a heartless, pointless kill! How could you?!"

"Heartless? It certainly was not," Rico said tilting his head. "One shot and she was down. Pointless? Again, it certainly was not. This little beauty will fill my pockets with lots of money to live on. And the trophies, as you say, will make nice decorations for my clients."

Neo clenched her trembling fists. In a split second she crossed the forest floor and landed a punch on the man's nose. His head snapped back, blood gushing into the air.

Rico stumbled back from the force of her punch. Catching himself, he grabbed his nose. "Ah! What the heck was that for?!"

"For the life you took for no reason!" Neo landed a kick on his stomach. He buckled. "You killed an innocent creature that had babies to take care of!" Grabbing his head, she slammed her knee into his nose, breaking it. "You left two babies to survive on their own!"

"You little b-" The man's words cut off in Neo's ears when he swung up, his fist caught on her chin.

Neo felt herself flying through the air before landing hard on the ground.

"Hey!" Bepo rushed forward.

Lifting up, Neo watched Bepo land several kicks and punches on the man's body.

"Don't you touch her!" Bepo shouted through his assault.

Neo forced herself to sit up. Her jaw throbbed, no doubt swelling from the punch. She ignored it. The fury she felt from this man was too strong for her to care about an injury. Never before had she felt such anger. She wanted to take a knife and stab it multiple times through his heart. The cubs' cries pulled her attention to them. They were cowering under a near by bush. Their small bodies trembled. She exhaled and turned her attention back to Bepo. Rico was on the ground. The man might have had some muscle on him but it was clear he didn't know how to handle a fighter like Bepo.

Breathing hard Bepo walked back over to Neo and knelt down in front of her. He cupped her throbbing jaw. Guilt was plaster all over his eyes. "I'm sorry. I should have jumped in sooner."

Neo grabbed his wrist. "It's fine. I really didn't expect myself to react like that. I was extremely angry. The pain hurt too much. I wasn't able to stand back and-" A shot rang out.

Bepo's eyes widened. Blood spewed out of his chest. He fell forwards.

"No!" Neo screamed. She grabbed him, but was unable to hold him up due to his size.

Bepo fell to the ground. Thunder boomed above them.

Neo froze, unable to do anything but watch as her friend laid lifelessly on the ground.

…

"Huh?" Kailen's eyes shot to the forest when a gunshot ran out into the air. Nature shifted angrily, causing him to shutter. The wind picked up, bringing thunder and lightning fill clouds over the camp. He stared at the sky, wondering if the storm came in on its own or if Neo summoned it in. Either way nature was furious right now. "Neo?"

"Huh? Where did this storm come from? It was clear a second ago," Archer said.

"Did I hear a gunshot?" Shachi asked.

"It sounded like it can from the way Neo and Bepo went," Penguin said. "Captain, should we go check on them?"

Law kneaded his eyebrows. He could feel it. Something was definitely wrong. He rushed towards the forest. "Let's go!"

"Aye!" Shachi and Penguin shouted as they raced after him.

Kailen quickly followed.

"Oh man," Archer grumbled. "I'm stuck here."

…

Neo stared down at Bepo. Her hands and arms were covered in blood from the attempt to stop the bleeding. The red blood mixed in with his orange boiler suit making it impossible for her to tell exactly where the wound was.

"Stupid bear," Rico said between breaths. He spat blood out onto the ground. "You two…never should have touched me. Now…you're going to die. And that bear will make a nice trophy for me. I think I'll have him stuffed and add him to my personal connection." He chuckled, cocking another bullet into place. "White bears are rare. And he talks. I would keep him alive because of that, but he's too wild. He'll have to be put down."

"Stop it!" Neo screamed. Shimmering green crystals appeared around her.

"What the heck?!" Rico screamed. Vines lifted up and snapped at him. Thorns shot off from bushes and embedded in his skin. He lifted his rifle and aimed at Neo. "I don't know what kind of freak you are but you're going to die!"

Neo lift a cold glare at him. Shots were fired. A wall of thick vines shielded her. As they fell back down she stood up. Cocking her head to the side, her eyes cold and distant, she said, "I will not die."

Rico's eyes widened. A sharp crack of thunder sounded overhead, drowning out his cries as thorns and vines pierced his chest.

Turning away from the man, Neo knelt back down. Her eyes ran over the blood on Bepo. She knew he needed help. And fast. But what should she do? Should she leave him here and go get the others? She knew she couldn't lift him up. She was far too small and weak for that.

Bepo coughed. "N-Neo…"

"Bepo." Tears poured from her eyes. He was still alive, for the moment anyway.

"What…what did you do?" Bepo asked.

"What do you mean? I mean, stop talking!" Neo said. "You have to hold still! I'm going to get you help!"

"The plants," Bepo said. "You did something. You moved them like K-Kailen."

"What?" Neo glanced around. There shimmering beside her was some of her earth crystals. Her heart jumped into her throat. She could use her crystals again. She could use her solar crystal to help her friend. Hope was dashed when she tried to summon her solar crystal. It wouldn't listen to her. She slammed her fist into the ground in frustration. "Blast it!"

"Such a…pretty crystal."

Neo glanced at Bepo. His paw was curling around a green crystal. It took several seconds before she recognized the crystal was an earth crystal. Without hesitation she used her earth crystals to slip vines underneath Bepo's body. She was about to move him when the cubs cried out to her. Her heart ached. There was no way she could leave them. So she wrapped them in her vines and pulled them with her.

…

Kailen's heart hammered rapidly in his chest. The forest blurred past him as he ran with the pirates. The storm, the shifting in the nature, it had to be her. She had to have gained the use of her crystals again. But how? How did she manage to regain them?

"Neo!" Penguin called out.

"Where are you?!" Shachi added. "Bepo?!"

"There!" Kailen said when a large mass of vines came towards them.

The small group came to a halt.

"Hey! You're all right! We thought that…" Penguin's voice trailed of when Neo lowered the vines to the ground. "Bepo!"

"What happened?!" Shachi asked.

Law rushed forward to check on his navigator.

Fresh tears poured like waterfalls from Neo's eyes. "He…he was…protecting me." She hiccupped. "A guy…back there…killed a bear…babies…"

"Neo." Kailen rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her. His eyes caught sight of the two cubs.

"What is she talking about?" Shachi asked.

"Neo?" Penguin knelt down beside her, unaware of the bear cubs until they cried. He jumped back from them. "What the heck?! What are those bears doing here?! Their mom is going to kill us!"

"No," Kailen said finally understand what his sister was saying. "Their mother is dead."

The pirates looked at him.

"Someone killed their mother," Kailen said. "Isn't that right, Neo?"

Neo nodded.

"Penguin, Shachi," Law said. "Go in the direction they came and check things out. I'm taking Bepo back to the sub."

"Aye, Captain," the pirates said before running off. Penguin paused to look at Neo before turning to catch up with his friend.

"Let's go," Law said. "And leave those bear cubs here."

"No!" Neo hissed. Thunder roared above with multiple lightning strikes. Flowers and bushes grew up twice their normal size and lashed out at the pirate captain.

"Neo! Stop that!" Kailen ordered. "It's fine! No one's going to take the cubs away from you!"

Neo settled into her brother's embrace, pulling the cubs closer when they walked over to her.

"Captain Law," Kailen said. "I know I have no right to ask this of you since I'm technically your prisoner, but please don't take the cubs away from her right now. It's very important that you let her take care of them."

"We can't take them with us," Law said. "A submarine isn't the place for animals."

"I understand that," Kailen said. "I just need some time to talk to her about it. I promise she won't keep them forever."

"Fine." Law looked down at Bepo. He was pressing hard against the wound but it wasn't doing much good. "I have to get Bepo back to the sub. Room. Shambles."

In a few seconds the small group was back at the sub and in the medical bay. Kailen continued to hold on to Neo while Law set to work on saving Bepo's life. He studied Neo's body for injures and only found her chin swollen. Leaving her on the floor of the sub, he stood up and got some water in a basin and a couple washcloths. Sitting back in front of her he started working on washing the blood off her. The whole time she just sat and stared into space. Her crystals had faded away but the storm outside remained.

Other members of the crew rushed inside of the room. Before long the otherwise quiet room was filled with the beeping of the heart-monitoring machine.

Neo remained ever still. Not once did she look up in Bepo's direction. But she didn't have to. Kailen knew she was worried about the bear. He only hoped this didn't affect her like the death of their parents. Surely not since they haven't know Bepo as long as their parents. And, somehow, she managed to get her earth crystals back. He scanned her face in hopes to find the answer. Only he found tears and a swollen jaw. Whispering her said, "He's going to be okay, Neo. He's not going to die. The captain will see to that."


	17. Bears & Bonds

Bears & Bonds

Law sighed with relief when he finally got all the bleeders stopped. He was now finally able to get inside of Bepo and see what all the damage was. It was a huge relief when he found the bullet had past clean through his navigator and missed his heart. Bepo was extremely lucky. If the bullet had been just a mere half an inch to the left he would have been down one subordinate, a navigator, and a best friend. His eyes flittered over to his two prisoners. Kailen was still working on getting the blood off Neo's skin. And Neo was staring out into space with the bear cubs close beside her, her eyes drenched in tears and full of fear. A tiny flame of anger burned in his chest that this had happened. He wanted to march over there and demanded Neo to tell him what happened out there. But he knew he wouldn't get any answers right now. The girl was far too upset to even talk to her brother. There was no chance she would talk to him right now. Besides, as soon as Penguin and Shachi got back he would have a clearer picture of what happened out there. So he focused getting Bepo fixed up.

Law wasn't sure how much time had past since he was focused on Bepo, but suddenly Shachi was beside him. The man asked, "How's Bepo doing?"

"He's going to be fine," Law said. "The bullet missed his heart and passed clean through."

"I'm so glad." Shachi sighed.

Law could feel the man's tension leave his body. "What did you find out there?"  
"A mess," Shachi said. "Apparently a poacher had killed the bear cubs' mother. Penguin and I believe that's what started the fight. Though we're not sure if they snuck up on him shortly after the kill or if the poacher snuck up on them when they found the kill. Either way, we found the man still alive in the forest."

"He's still alive?" Law flickered a glance at Shachi.

"He _was_ ," Shachi said. "Penguin and I took care of him. Neither one of us wanted his death to be on Neo's hands. She's far too innocent for that." He glanced over at Neo. "I hope it doesn't affect her with what she did."

"What do you mean?" Law asked.

"The man had vines and thorns in his body," Shachi said. "I'm surprised he was still alive after all of that. He also had several bruises so it's obvious that Bepo fought with him."

"Understood." Law nodded. Another hour past before he finally finished stitching Bepo up. Tilting his head back he sighed, relieved that his friend was fine and stable. "Let's get him moved into a recover room."

"Aye, Captain," a medic said.

Law turned to see Neo was still sitting where Kailen had put her. Kailen, the cubs, and Penguin were still gathered around her. He tossed his blood surgical gloves in the trash before walking over to them. "Has she said anything else?"  
"No." Kailen shook his head. "How's Bepo?"

"He'll be sore and out of commission for a while, but he'll live," Law said.

"Thank goodness," Kailen said. "She'll be relieved."

"We're all pretty hard to kill," Penguin said trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Should I get her something? Water? Maybe something to eat? Something light?"  
"Water might be a good thing," Kailen said.

Penguin nodded and stood up before leaving the room.

"I'm sorry about this," Kailen said. "We seem to bring you nothing but trouble."

"Don't worry about it," Law said. "This wasn't her fault. Once they both wake up we'll get the full truth from them." He paused. "Shachi told me there were vines and thorns sticking out of the man's body."

Kailen glanced up at Law.

Law could see the confusion as clear as day in Kailen's eyes. "That surprises you?"

"Yeah. Neo's not one to attack someone or try to kill them. But then…" He looked back at Neo. "She's never been in a situation like this before."

"You mean seeing a poached animal?" Law asked.

"Penguin told me about it," Kailen said with a nod. "As we've told you before, our people don't eat meat much. And we certainly don't kill animals for trophies. The shock must have been too great for her. Then with Bepo getting shot…it's possible she lost control and was defending them all, even the bear cubs."

Law dropped his eyes to the cubs. They were now curled up at Neo's side sleeping. He looked back at Kailen. "What are you going to do with her now? She can't stay here."

"I'll move her down to our room," Kailen said. "If I'm lucky I can get her to sleep for a while."

Law squatted down and examined her red, swollen jaw. "Anything broken?"

"No," Kailen said. "Just swollen and bruised."

"You'll need to put some ice on that," Law said.

"I got some water," Penguin said upon returning. "And I brought a small bag of ice. I figured she could use it."

"Thanks, Penguin," Kailen said. He took the cup from him first. Placing it near Neo's lips, he add, "Drink, Neo."

Neo did. She sucked back a little water before turning her head away from the cup.

"I should get her downstairs now," Kailen said handing the cup back to Penguin.

"I'll come with you," Penguin said.

Kailen lifted Neo into his arms and stood up. Leaving the room the cubs followed him.

Law watched them go, unsure of how this was going to turn out with the bear cubs onboard.

…

Neo opened her eyes to the darkness of the sub. And odd warmth was surrounding her feet. Pushing herself up she found Kailen was sitting right beside the bed on the floor asleep. The cubs were on the bed with her. They were curled up at her feet, which explained the warmth. She licked her dry lips then winced at the pain shooting through her jaw. "Ouch."

"Hm?" Kailen shifted before looking up at her. "Oh, you're wake."

"Bepo!" Neo flinched. The image of Bepo's bloody body flashed through her mind. "Where's Bepo?!"

"Settled down." Kailen grabbed her wrist before she could get the idea to bolt for the door.

"He was shot! That man shot him!" Neo said. Her heart hammered against her chest. It was accompanied by a heaviness she couldn't explain. Spinning on the bed, she placed her feet on the floor in an attempt to stand up. Pressure of Kailen's hand on her wrist kept her in place.

"He's fine," Kailen said. "The captain operated on him while you were in shock. He's stable and woke up a few hours ago. He's resting right now. Like you should be."

"He's okay." Neo sighed and sunk back onto the bed. Her pulse lowering back to normal.

"What happened out there? I noticed you got your earth crystals back," Kailen said. "Did you get the rest of them?"  
"No." Neo shook her head. "A guy, Bepo called him a poacher, killed the bear cubs' mom. I lost it. I couldn't handle it. They were hurting so much. The mother was… I attacked the guy. I punched him then kicked him. It wasn't until he shot Bepo that my earth crystals came back. It's confusing. I don't understand. I tried to use my solar crystal on him but it wouldn't work."

"So you only have your earth crystals back," Kailen said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Why? Why only them?"  
"I'm not sure," Kailen said. "It's possible that your surroundings had an influence on that."

"What do you mean?" Neo glanced at him.

Kailen took in a breath. "Well, you were in a forest. And your earth crystals responded to your need of wanting to help your friend."

"That's why?" Neo asked.

"It's possible," Kailen said. "Remember researchers back home have suggested our crystals are connected to our emotions. And it's certain that our surroundings have an affect on us as well. And it was our parents…" He paused when she flinched. "Well, it was because of that incident that you lost the use of your crystals in the first place. Maybe it will take something like this to get them back?"

"I hope not," Neo said, her eyes locking onto the bear cubs. They woke up. Standing up to stretch out their bodies before holding up their noses to sniff the air. "I can't do this. I don't want to see anyone get hurt again."

"I know you don't. But you have to remember that we're sailing the Grand Line. And we're on a pirate ship. Danger is all around us," Kailen said. "We're not in the safe boarders of Luminous anymore."

Neo placed her hands over her face. "And I wanted to set sail with Godfather."

"It would be different with him," Kailen said. "He and the crew are stronger than this crew. Plus, Godfather would be keeping an eye on you all the time. You know he wouldn't let you go off alone."

"I wasn't alone this time," Neo said with a sigh. Pushing up on her arms, she sat up. The cubs moved towards the edge of the bed. Standing on the edge they slipped down the side and started exploring the room. She watched them. "How have they been?"  
"They're fine for now," Kailen said. "I fed them some fish and gave them water before taking them back to the island so they could do their business. They're still scared and confused thought. They've been sticking close to you since you brought them here."

Neo ran her fingers over their furry heads when they rubbed against her legs. "Sweet babies."

"We're going to have to talk about them when you feel a little better," Kailen said.

"I figured as much." Neo stood up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Kailen asked.

"To use the bathroom," Neo said. "Then I'm going to go check on Bepo."

"All right. Well, I'm going to head to bed now," Kailen said. "It's been a long day."

"Sorry I kept you up for so long," Neo said.

"Don't worry about it." Kailen stood and hugged her.

Neo sighed and leaned into his familiar embrace. A minute past before she pulled away from him and left the room with the cubs following her. Opening the door the light from the hall momentarily blinded her. When her eyes adjusted she headed for the stairs. The sub was quiet but for the occasional groaning of the sub settling. It was possible the crew was in bed, though she wasn't sure. She wasn't even sure what time it was. The only thing she knew for sure was it was raining outside. So the storm that blew in wasn't because of her. Or, well, it wasn't completely because of her. She knew the dark clouds had reacted to her fury.

Coming to the captain's quarters she found the door was open. She knocked anyway while stepping inside. Scanning her eyes around the room she found it empty. After using the facilities she headed on up to the medical bay. Half way up the stairs the cubs whined. Looking back she found they were having trouble climbing up the stairs. They had grown tired from the flight they had already climbed. Half smiling, she used her earth crystals. Summoning a couple vines she lifted them into her arms and proceeded up the stairs.

With only one of the recovery rooms door closed, it was easy for her to tell where Bepo was. That and she could sense him there. Opening the door she slipped inside with the cubs. She started to cross the room when she halted in her tracks. There, sitting in a chair with his bootless feet propped up on the bed, arms crossed, hat over his eyes, and a moonbeam falling over him from a porthole, was the captain. Confusion swirled around in her mind. Why was he here and not sleeping in his room?

Upon a closer look she saw, or thought she saw, worry lines stretched out across his face. His body was stiff and rigid in the chair as if he was unable to relax at all. Her heart pounded in her ears. For some reason she suddenly felt out of place. It was like she was intruding in on something she shouldn't have seen in the first place. She started to back towards the door but stopped when she heard a groan. She gulped, wondering if the captain was about to wake up and yell at her for being in here.

"Neo?" Bepo's soft voice said.

Neo licked her lips with no idea if she should answer him or not. A cub brushed her leg, making her jump.

"I can smell you." Bepo turned his head towards her. "Please, don't pretend you're not here."

Right. She had forgotten about that. She stepped over to the bed and smiled. "Hey. How you feeling?"

"Sore," Bepo said. His lips curled into a small smile. "But I'm alive thanks to you."

"I didn't do anything." Neo wrapped her arms around herself. "Except get you into that position."

"You did nothing wrong," Bepo said.

"I freaked out," Neo said. "If I didn't do that he wouldn't have snuck up on us. We would have left before he came."

"Neo, don't blame yourself," Bepo said holding out his hand for her. "Come here."

Neo hesitated before walking over to him. She placed her hand in his paw. The cubs followed. Sniffing Bepo's scent as they attempted to climb up the bed.

"It wasn't your fault at all. That man was to blame. He was doing something he shouldn't have. We were only in the wrong place at the wrong time. No one blames you for this," Bepo said.

"You captain probably does," Neo murmured.

"He doesn't," Bepo said. "He told me that when I woke up earlier. He said you were upset and sleeping."

Neo glanced over at the sleeping pirate captain. It looked like his body had relaxed in the time she had came in here. But she couldn't be sure. Still she expected him to wake up and snap at her for being in here. Then there were Bepo's words. There wasn't any reason for Bepo to lie to her but she still found it hard to believe the captain wouldn't blame her for this.

"The captain also told me you only got a hurt jaw," Bepo said smiling. "I'm glad that guy didn't hurt you worse. How is it?"

"Still a little sore. I might have trouble eating for a few days," Neo said rubbing her jaw.

"The captain can give you something for the pain," Bepo said. "Did you really get the use of your crystals back?"

"Uh, yeah," Neo said. "Apparently. Or at least a little bit. I'm still not back up to full strength yet."

"That's good." Bepo nodded. "I'm glad you can defend yourself some now. I can't wait to see what you can do with them. Will you show me someday?"  
"Sure," Neo said. "I'd be glad to." Pulling her hand from Bepo's paw, she placed it behind her back and rocked back on her heels. "Well, you should sleep now. I only want to come see how you were doing."

Bepo nodded and closed his eyes.

Neo waited a minute before pulling the covers more upon Bepo. She then left the room with the cubs. Rubbing her forehead she wandered down the stairs until she reached the third floor. There she found the galley light on. "That wasn't on before. Was it?"

She headed for it. Stepping inside she found Penguin and Shachi sitting at a table with some food scattered between them. Her stomach rumbled. She had wanted to go back to the room but now that she was hungry she knew she wouldn't be able to relax. She entered into the room. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Neo, you're up," Penguin said.

"It's kind of hard to think about sleeping when one of your best friends has been shot," Shachi said.

"Sorry." Neo ducked her head.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. You know that," Shachi said with a wave of his hand. He took a bite of his sandwich before adding, "Mostly we're just relieved that he's alive."

"So what are you doing here? Did you need something?" Penguin asked before biting into an apple.  
"I woke up and decided to check on Bepo," Neo said. "He woke up for a moment. He seemed to be fine."

"That's good," Penguin said. "He was worried about you when he woke up earlier. I'm glad you two got to speak."

"I am too." Neo sat down beside him. One of the bear cubs attempted to climb into her lap. When he didn't make it, she picked him up and placed him on her legs. His sister pulled herself into a chair before climbing upon the table. "You really shouldn't be up there."

The cub ignored her.

"You brat." Neo shook her head.

"She might be hungry," Shachi said giving the cub a piece of roast. "What about you? You've been a sleep for a while."

"You should eat something." Penguin shoved some food closer to her.

Neo picked up a piece of roast and gave it to the cub she was holding before grabbing a carrot for herself. They ate in silence. She carefully nibbled on her carrot, her mind locked onto Law being in the recovery room with Bepo. It seems so caring of him to stay in there. But that contradicted his harsh, stern behavior that she had seen before. Then what did she know about the captain? They weren't friends. He could be very caring towards his crew for all she knew. Only he never acted this way with Archer or Conner. Of course their wounds weren't life threatening like Bepo's. Still it seemed like odd behavior for the captain. Her thoughts were soon interrupted when Shachi claimed he was tired and going to try and get some sleep.

"I'm hitting the sack," Shachi said as he left the room. "See you two tomorrow."

"Night, Shachi," Penguin said. "So what about you? You ready for bed yet?" He glanced at Neo then looked at the now sleeping cubs. "They seem ready for it."

"Penguin?" Neo said.

"What is it?" Penguin propped his chin in his hand, resting his elbow on the table.

"I was just wondering about your captain," Neo said.

"What about him?" Penguin probed.

"It's probably nothing, but when I was in the recovery room he was in there," Neo said, her eyes locked onto the table.

"Oh, that," Penguin said. "Despite no one actually voicing it, Bepo's the captain's best friend."

"He is?" Neo looked up at the man.

"He sure is." Penguin nodded. "Bepo's very loyal to the captain since he saved him from behind bullied by me and Shachi. And while it might not seem like it the captain is very loyal to his crew as well."

Neo snorted. The idea sounded silly in her head. But hearing it out loud made it sound flat out ridiculous.

Penguin chuckled.

"What?" Neo frowned.

"I'm not surprised that you think it's impossible," Penguin said. "You've only seen the harsher side of the captain. And he is known for sadistically torturing his enemies. But he'll never act like that with someone he cares about."

"I still find that hard to believe," Neo said. "He seems to always want to jump right to killing someone than try and talk about it."

"Maybe. But do you think you could have talked your way out of that situation with the poacher?" Penguin said.

It didn't take Neo long to decide. "No. I guess not. He really appeared to believe what he did was okay. But how? How could anyone do that to an animal? I can understand killing for food and survival, but what he did…"

"It's hard. I know," Penguin said. "And we're all right behind you. What that man did was wrong. Not only did he take a life needlessly he also left the meat to waste. At least he'll never do that again."

"So…I did kill him." Neo's stomach turned. Placing a hand over her mouth, she forced a gag down. Killing was never at the top of her list. And living the sheltered life she did on Luminous and having everyone there to protect her it never even crossed her mind that she may one day have to kill someone. Her feelings were mixed on the subject. She had to protect Bepo. She had to protect the bear cubs. It was the right thing to do. Wasn't it?

"No, you didn't." Penguin placed his hand over hers and gave her a comforting squeeze. "He was still clinging to life when Shachi and I found him. You don't have to worry. We took care of the rest. Please don't question what you did to him. You did the right thing. You were defending yourself and Bepo. So, please, Neo, please don't blame yourself for that."

Tears leaked over her eyelids. With her free hand she brushed them away and turned her other hand to hold his. Penguin's words took the heaviness from her chest. She nodded. "Thank you, Penguin. Thank you so much."

"Any time." Penguin smiled. "We're friends after all. Right?"

"Yeah." Neo returned his smile. "We're friends."

"So does this mean you're starting to see the captain in a different light?" Penguin asked with a teasing lilt in his tone.

Neo snorted despite the heat rushing to her cheeks. She crossed her arms over her chest. "No! Of course not! Don't be silly! I still don't like him! He's still the biggest jerk I've ever met!"

Penguin chuckled. "If you say so."

"Though I still admit that he's not as…horrible as I first thought," Neo said. The bear cub in her lap woke up. He scrambled upon the table and started playing with a carrot. "And I do tend to favor people who are loyal to their friends."

"It's a start," Penguin said. "Well, if we're done eating we should clean up and head for bed. It's getting late."

Neo stood up with him. After the galley was clean and everything was put up, they grabbed the bear cubs and headed to their quarters. Penguin stepped into her and Kailen's room. He placed the cub down at the foot of her bed before heading out. "Good night, Neo."

"Good night, Penguin," Neo said. The door closed. She laid down with the cubs on the bed and closed her eyes.

…

Neo opened her eyes. She quickly reclosed them due to the invasive sunlight shining through the porthole. Once her eyes adjusted to the light she sat up. Looking around the room she found the bear cubs were gone but she quickly sensed them outside with Kailen. Standing up from the bed she quickly changed clothes before heading out of the room. As she got closer to the stairs she heard someone grumbling a few choice words she wasn't use to hearing. Conner then stepped up onto the floor. Grease spotted his skin and his hair was sticking up all over the place. She said, "Having trouble with something?"

"Yeah, the sub's being a real pain," Conner said.

"Are we in trouble?" Neo asked.

"No," Conner said. "It's just taking longer to fix everything than I thought it would. I'm taking a break before my frustration causes me to inflict more damage on it." He paused, seeming to notice something about her. "Did you just get up?"

"Yes. Why?" Neo said.

"It's past noon," Conner said. "You're usually up long before now."

"Oh," Neo said. That would explain the bright sunlight. "I guess I needed to sleep. Yesterday was pretty stressful after all."

"So I heard," Conner said. "Sorry you had to go through that. But Bepo's tough. He'll be up on his feet in a few days."

Neo nodded. Her stomach rumbled.

"Let's get something to eat," Conner said leading the way to the galley. Stepping into the galley both their eyes landed on a piece of paper sitting on the closest table. He picked it up and read it. "Penguin saved us some lunch. We can also help ourselves to whatever we want. The crew appears to be outside at the moment."

"I figured that since I felt Kailen was outside," Neo said.

"Hm? You felt him outside?" Conner paused in placing the note down. His eyes bore into her.

"Uh, sorry. I'm still partially sleep," Neo said quickly, rubbing her neck. "I meant I figured that's where they were since the bear cubs weren't in the room."

"Ah." Conner nodded. Placing the note down he headed over to the fridge. "They would need to go outside. I hope you're not thinking about keeping them. The captain doesn't allow pets on the sub."

"I'm not really sure what to do with them. I can't just leave them on their own to die. They're only babies. They can't fight for themselves," Neo admitted. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed the tea pitcher. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure. Thanks. And that's life though," Conner said pulling food into his hands. He walked over to the table and placed it down. "If you and Bepo didn't come along the poacher would have killed them. Or some other animal would have. You know the whole circle of life thing?"

Neo bit back a flinch. His honesty stung. She filled their glasses with tea, put the pitcher back in the fridge, and joined him at the table. They ended up eat in silence after that. His words hung like a thick fog in the room and her mind.

He finished before she did and went back to work leaving her with her thoughts. If they were on their godfather's ship then keeping the bears wouldn't be a problem as she had them wrapped around her finger. Plus, they would have taken the bear cubs back to Luminous so they could grow up there. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. She wasn't on her godfather's ship. She was on Captain Law's submarine. It was obvious that animals wouldn't be happy inside of the sub. And being wild animals would only make it worse on them even with her and Kailen there. But how could she just leave them to die? It seemed so heartless of her to even think about it. All she really could think about was their mother lying dead and defiled on the forest floor. Her own parents lying on the ground dead and defiled flashed through her mind. She forced back a gag then focused on eating lunch.

Finished eating, she washed her dishes, put them up, and headed upstairs. She stopped off at the captain's quarters to use his bathroom before going on up to the medical bay. The captain and Bepo's voices floated out into the hall. She didn't stick around long enough to listen in on what they were saying. Right now she really didn't want to face the captain. She would visit Bepo later.

Walking out onto the deck she crossed her arms over the railing and watched the scene below on the island. The bear cubs were currently harassing Archer by crawling all over him and chewing on his cast.

"Hey! Leave that alone! It's not a toy!" Archer said during a feeble attempt to push the cubs away. The crew laughed when the cubs didn't stop. One of the cubs grabbed onto Archer's arm, hanging there when he lifted his arm. "Get off me! I'm not a tree either!"

Neo climbed down to the island. Once the cubs caught her scent on the wind they ran over to her. Smiling, she knelt down on the warm grass and stroked their backs before moving closer to Archer and Kailen.

"Man! Good thing you're here! Those pests wouldn't leave me alone!" Archer said. He lifted his leg to show her his cast. "I think they think I'm their personally chew toy! They're probably trying to eat me!"

"They like you," Neo said. Sitting down the bear cubs started chasing each other around her.

"Well, at the moment the feelings _not_ mutual," Archer said while examining the tooth and claw marks on his cast. "They could have seriously damaged my cast. The captain would be furious if that happened. Like food we have to be careful with our medical supplies. We could run out."

"Oh, stop being such a baby." Shachi walked over. "The captain would have put on a new one. We have more than enough medical supplies."

"That's not the point!" Archer said.

Shachi shrugged. "They're babies. What do you expect?"

"Just shut up." Archer frowned.

"So have you decided on what you're going to do with the cubs?" Shachi asked sitting down.

Neo closed her eyes. The sight of the mom bear lying on the ground was still fresh in her mind. A dull ache pounded behind her eyes.

"You know you can't keep them," Archer said. "The captain won't allow it."

Neo pressed her fingers to her forehead. The smile of the poacher thinking he did nothing wrong came next.

"There should be other bears on the island," Kailen said watching his sister closely. "We should be able to find one that will take the cubs in."

"You're kidding, right?" Archer looked at Kailen.

The sounds of the cubs' fearful cries filled Neo's ears. She clenched her eyes closed.

"It's happened before," Kailen said. "I'm sure there's another mother bear living here that could help." The pirates gave him a skeptical look. He shrugged. "It's happened before. Animals can be amazing at times."

Neo looked at her brother. Sure animals have stepped up to take care of a baby that weren't theirs but that's not what he was talking about here. They could easily ask a bear to take care of the cubs. But there was still a chance that it wouldn't happen. Unable to stop herself or the visions of what happened from swimming in her head, she said, "We're not getting rid of them."

"Neo," Kailen said.

Neo lifted her hand, silencing him. "My decision is final. I can't…I _won't_ leave them here."

"Neo." Kailen sighed.

"The captain is not going to be happy," Archer said.

"I know." Neo plucked at the grass. "And I don't care. It's not like he hasn't been upset with me before." She glared at the ground. "I just can't get my mind wrapped around leaving them behind for another poacher to come and do that to them or another bear." She wrapped her arms around her trembling body. The cubs walked over to her, brushing against her sides. "I can't see another one die. I won't do it. I can't."

"Neo," Kailen said placing his hand on her shoulder. "You know what happened back home wasn't-"

"Enough!" Neo said in her royal tone.

Kailen shrunk back.

Neo looked at her brother before catching a glimpse at the pirates. It was obvious they were confused at her unusual authority tone. A tone she hadn't used around them before. She pinched the bridge of her nose knowing the captain was going to be furious with her decision. And most likely will force her to leave the cubs behind. But what else could she do? She had to protect these two. They were orphans now just like she and Kailen were.

…

For the next two days Neo hadn't left the bear cubs side. And she had been avoiding Law in that time as well. Word had gotten around that she wasn't going to release the cubs. Needless to say the captain wasn't very happy about it. It was easy for her to notice he was avoiding her as much as she was avoiding him. The only time their paths crossed was in the galley and his room. They avoided eye contact as much as possible during those times. She made sure to check and see if Law was in the recovery room with Bepo before going in there. And that's where she currently was. Sitting in the chair Law often occupied. After an hour and a half of sitting with the bear she finally noticed one particular conversation hadn't came up yet. She said, "You're not telling me to leave the cubs behind."

"I'm not sure I can," Bepo said. "I can understand how you feel about them. Well, a little bit anyway."

Neo looked up at him. The bear was sitting up, leaning back against several pillows while playing with the bear cubs.

"I worry a lot about my brother," Bepo said. "Especially when he first took off from our home island. I'm not even sure if he's alive or not."

"So how upset is your captain about this?" Neo asked picking at the hem of her shirt.

"I'm not really sure," Bepo said. "He's been avoiding the topic since we haven't been able to set sail yet. But now that Conner has the sub fixed…"

Neo nodded when Bepo trailed off. They would be leaving this island any minute now. She stood up and headed for the door. The cubs scrambled after her. "Excuse me. I have to take the cubs outside for a while."

"Of course," Bepo said as she stepped out of the door.

…

Law leaned back in his chair. With his hands behind his head he stared up at the ceiling with a frown. The sub had been finally fixed early this morning but he still hadn't given the order to set sail. All he did was hide away in his room, avoiding everyone, especially Neo. Though he wasn't sure why. He had found out about her decision to keep the bear cubs despite the numerous times she had been told she couldn't. Of course it infuriated him. But then that was nothing new. This young woman had a habit of getting under his skin. This was no exception. She knew it as much as he did. Yet here he was. Still sitting in his room, stewing over the young blue haired woman.

The thought of warping her into a cell in the brig and sail off, leaving the bear cubs behind, crossed him mind multiple times. It would be so easy to do. They had a goal to meet after all. They had to get to Sabaody. So why hadn't he? Why hadn't he put his foot down and set sail already? His eyebrows kneaded when her crying and covered in Bepo's blood shot through his mind. Was it possible that he didn't want her to cry again? Surely not. No woman ever had that kind of control over him. So there was no way this woman could do that to him.

Law lowered his eyes to the door when someone knocked. "Yes?"  
"Captain?" Shachi opened the door and stepped inside. "Sorry to bother you. But…um…the crew is wondering when we're going to set sail?"

Law sighed. Standing up he grabbed his hat and sword from his desk before heading for the door. "Prepare the crew to set sail."

"Aye." Shachi nodded, stepping aside so Law could enter the hall. "And, uh, Neo?"  
Law paused for a few seconds. "She outside?"

"I believe so," Shachi said. "She was the last I knew. I think she took the cubs out for a while."

Law headed for the stairs. Out on the deck, he glanced down to the island. Sure enough she was there. The two bear cubs were chasing Neo around as she danced to get away from them. Something stirred in his chest at the sight of her fluid movements. Never before had he noticed how graceful she moved. But here it was obvious that she was as graceful as a dove gliding through the air.

His heart skipped when she did a move he believed was called a pirouette, something he had seen his sister do when they were kids. She spun on one foot while her other foot was against her knee, supporting her leg.

He shook his head when he felt himself waver in his decision to leave the cubs behind. Lifting his hand, he formed his Room and warped down to her. Neo didn't look up at him. Her eyes remanded on the cubs as she danced to a stop. He said, "We're setting sail in a few minutes."

Neo nodded once.

Law gripped his sword. "And you're leaving those animals behind."

"No." Neo clenched her fists. "I won't."

"You don't have a choice," Law said.

"I do too. We don't _have_ to leave them behind," Neo said.

Law exhaled. "Yes. _You_ do. Turn them lose and get on the sub."

"No," Neo said.

"Excuse me?" Law frowned.

"You heard me," Neo said crossing her arms over her chest. Lifting her eyes from the ground she glared at him. "I won't do it! I won't abandon them like that! I can't!"

"Yes, you can." Heat boiled in Law's chest. "You're not their mother. It's not right for you to force them to deal with having to live on the sub. They're not pets."

"I know that!" Neo shouted. "And I don't care! I can't and I won't abandon them! How many times do I have to tell you that?!"

Law growled. Snapping out his free hand, he grabbed her wrist, and within a second had them warped onto the sub. Pulling her close he shoved her back against the railing of a cell. A gasp left her lips from the impact. "Do you see these bars? We're currently on the brig. I _will_ lock you in one if you do not leave those animals behind. You don't seem to understand that _I_ am the captain here. It doesn't matter that you are not a member of my crew. You _will_ show me the respect I deserve as the _captain_. This is the last time I'm telling you to _leave_ those animals behind."

"How can you be so heartless?" Neo lowered her tear stained eyes.

"Very easily actually," Law said, "with everything that's happened to me in my past. Being nice isn't something I can afford to be anymore."

Law forced back a flinch when she glanced up at him. Not only were her eyes filled with tears but also fear, a sense of loss, and hopelessness. Something he knew all too well. Still there was no way he was going to let this woman's tears persuade him in his decision. He couldn't allow himself to cave to her because they had a very tiny connection. He tightened his hold onto her and lifted his other hand. This was it. She was going to go into the cell. And she was going to stay there until they arrived at Sabaody. Then, just as he started to spread out his Room, Corazon's smile flashed through his mind. His brow creased. Why of all times would Corazon appear in his mind? And why would it be of the smile he had before he died. Hands loosened he found himself asking, "Why? Why are you so determined to keep them if you know death is a part of life?"

"Because I know how they feel," Neo whispered almost too low for him to hear.

"What? What did you say?" Law's hands dropped.

Neo trembled before glaring up at him. "Because I know exactly how they feel! I saw our own parents died in front of me! I saw our parents being _murdered_ by someone I trusted!"

"What?" Law asked. His anger completely vanished.

Neo slid down the cell bars to the floor. Tears formed rivers down her cheeks. She raked her fingers through her hair and clenched them. "They're dead. Our parents were murdered in front of me."

"You're parents were…" Law trailed off. The memory of his own parents lying dead on the blood-covered floor of their clinic came back to him. His parents that were murdered by the government, by someone he should have been able to trust. The same government that killed off not only his parents, but also his sister, and their entire hometown population.

"Our parents." Neo's voice cracked. "They were murdered by someone I thought I could trust. Someone that I _did_ trust. Someone who watched me grown up. He killed them right in front of me. I should have stopped it. I had the power to…I could have…but I didn't…its all my fault." Neo buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "I could have saved them. It's my fault. They died because of _me_."

Sighing, Law tilted his head back and closed his eyes. More pieces of his mysterious prisoners were falling into place. They were looking for their godfather because their parents had been murdered by someone they trusted. They didn't have much on them when he found them because they obviously left their home island in a hurry. Something he could completely relate to. He too had nothing when he fled his own hometown after losing everything and everyone.

It was painfully clear that he had more in common with this woman than he had realized. With another sigh he knelt down in front of her. He reached for her. His hand paused an inch from her shoulder for a few seconds before he finally placed his hand on her.

Neo gasped and looked up at him.

The all too familiar tears and pain in her eyes tugged at his heartstrings. This must have been why he pictured Corazon a few minutes ago. His subconscious must have picked up on the similarities. That also had to be why he didn't want to make her cry and force her to leave the cubs behind. "Neo, listen to me. I know it feels like it's your entire fault they died, but that's not true. I don't know exactly what happened but from what you've just said it's clear that you had no idea that was going to happen to your parents. There was no way for you to prepare for something like that."

"What do you know?!" Neo brushed his hand off her shoulder and turned her head away from him before wrapping her arms around herself. "You're just a pirate! A pirate who has no problem with killing! Death is nothing to you! It's even in your name! Surgeon of _Death_! You would never understand what I'm feeling! How it feels to have the murder of your parents forever engraved in your mind! I'll never be able to unseen what Atlas did to them!"

"That's not entirely true." Law sat down on the floor, placing his sword beside him. Drawing in a deep breath, he exhaled before finally telling her the truth. "I do know how you feel."

"What?" Neo brought her eyes back to him.

"I actually _do_ know how you're feeling." Law paused then added, "Because my parents were murdered as well."

"What?" Neo asked.

"They were killed when I was ten years old." Law placed his sword on the floor. "I never had any intention of becoming a pirate. I was studying to become a doctor. My parents were both doctors as well. We lived in a place called Flevance in the North Blue. It was also called the White Town because of the amber lead that was mined there. The amber lead was actually poisonous. The world government and the royal family knew about this beforehand but never told anyone about it. Many people died because of that. But the entire place was wiped out by an extermination team one day because of the false fear this illness would spread from host to host. It didn't. It was only passed down through blood relations. My little sister even died there. The extermination team burned down the hospital she was in. And I saw my parents' dead bodies lying on the floor of our clinic. The extermination team tried to kill me as well but I managed to escape by hiding in a pile of dead bodies."

"You were…you're parents were…" Neo stared at him.

Law nodded in understanding of what she was trying to stay. She was hearing him. She was starting to understand that he did know how she felt. "So I can understand how you feel. I too was unable to do anything about my parents and sister's death."

"You…understand." Fresh tears came to her eyes.

Law started to nod but stopped when Neo leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his chest. His body stiffened. His first reaction was to pull away from her but his body didn't listen. Instead his head tilt downward. His nose came to her hair. A sweet scene filtered into his nostrils. Bepo was right. Somehow Neo really did smell sweet. His body relaxed. One arm went around her, pulling her closer to him, while his other hand went to the back of her head. He held her close. "I'm sorry about your parents, Neo. I promise that the pain will go away someday. You'll never forget what happened that day but it will get easier to deal with. I _promise_ you it will."

Neo nodded.

"That's a good girl," Law said with a stroke of her hair. "Now then. Let's-" A white glow appeared around them, cutting him off. "What the heck is this?"

"What's what?" Neo lifted off of him. She drew in a sharp gasped.

Law looked at her. "What's going on? What is this? Why are you, why are we glowing white?"

"I, uh…" Neo leaped to her feet and backed away from him.

"Neo." Law stood up. He studied her shocked expression. She knew something. "What's going on? Why are we glowing like this?"

Neo shook her head. Instead of answering him she dashed around him and disappeared down the hall.

Law started to follow after her, the glow fading from his body. But as he reached the door, he stopped. He knew it would do no good to try and demand answers from her. If she told him about this glow then it would be when she wanted to.

…

Neo's feet pounded on the stairs and in her head. It wasn't possible. It couldn't have been happening. Not now. Not _that_. Not to _him_ of all people. In the hazy cloud of her mind she heard a few crewmates called out for her but she didn't stop or acknowledge them through her hurried pace to get to the bedroom. Reaching it, she slammed the door behind her and locked it. Her eyes roamed the room in search of her brother. He wasn't there.

"No. No. No. No. No!" Neo said to herself as she paced the room. Her body threatening to hyperventilate. "Why? How could it do that? Why _him_? Of all people on the world why did it have to be _him_? It didn't happen. It couldn't have. I was hallucinating." She ran a hand through her hair. "But he saw it. He asked about it. It wasn't a hallucination. Oh sweet crystals of Luminous. Why did this have to happen? It really did happen. Didn't it? I'm now bonded to that pirate."

Neo closed her eyes and forced herself to take a steady breath. Kailen's earth crystals appeared outside. She had to talk to him Marching over to the door, she unlocked it and jerked it open. She ran as fast as she could through the sub, ignoring the calls of the crew once more. Reaching the deck she summoned an earth crystal and threaded a vine down to the island. The railing to the ladder was open so that's where she headed. Once close enough she launched herself into the air, grabbed the vine, and slid down to the island. The second her shoes thumped on the ground she dashed over to her brother.

"Neo," Kailen said as he walked closer to the sub. His eyes went to the wrestling cubs then to his sister. "Why were you inside without the-Oof!"

Neo plowed into him. "Kailen!"

"What in the world?" Kailen shifted his leg back to keep from falling.

"I bonded with him!" Neo looked into his eyes. A cold droplet of sweat ran down her neck.

"What?" Kailen asked.

"Just now!" Neo gripped his shirt. "I bonded with the captain!"

Kailen's skin whitened. "What…how? Why?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure," Neo said before rambling off what had happened. She paced in front of him as she did. "He threatened to lock me up. I broke down and told him our parents were murdered and that's why we're looking for our godfather. Then it just happened. He was holding me."

"He was holding you?" Kailen frowned.

"Yeah." Neo flushed, unable to look at her brother. "But that's not important! What are we going to do?! You know what happened to the last bonded pair!"

"Calm down, Neo." Kailen grabbed her shoulder to stop her from pacing. "It's going to be fine."

"How can you say that?! You know the story!" Neo said.

"I know." Kailen nodded. "You know the story. It wasn't their decision to part like that. That's not going to happen to you two."

Neo paused. He had a point.

"Take a deep breath," Kailen said.

Neo drew in as much air as she could before releasing it.

"You calm now?" Kailen asked.

"I think so." Neo nodded but her body still wanted to pace.

"Good."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Neo asked.

"There's nothing we can do," Kailen said. "You know bonding is something you can't control. You just had a moment, a connection to him. It doesn't necessarily mean anything more than that. You two can choose what happens next."

"I hope you're right," Neo said. She glanced down at the cubs for a moment before realizing something. "Wait. Where were you? Why weren't you in the sub? And you were alone."  
"With permission from the captain," Kailen said, "I went out looking for other bears."

"Oh."

"I found one that would willingly teach the cubs how to hunt and survive," Kailen said.

"I see." Neo wrapped her arms around herself. A tense moment of silence passed between them before she said, "I know we have to let them go."

"I knew you'd come around." Kailen squeezed her shoulder before releasing her. "I just didn't think it would happened after you...after a…" He ran his hand through his hair. "Are you going to tell him?"

"I'm not sure." Neo glanced back at the sub. No one was on deck. "He has a right to know what happened but I'm not sure if I can tell him without telling him _everything_."

"I'm starting to think we might not have a choice in the matter."

"Are you saying you want to tell him?" Neo looked at her brother.

"Not really," Kailen said with a shrug. "I'm just saying things are getting more complicated. We might not have a choice. But whether we do or not is really up to you."

"Responsibility really sucks," Neo said.

"I know." Kailen chuckled. He kissed her forehead. "But we all have to deal with it."

"And once again I find myself apologizing to you," Neo said. "I'm sorry for using my authority tone on you before."

"It's fine," Kailen said. "I should have seen it coming. Though I believe there's someone else you need to apologize more to."

Neo gulped when he looked over her head. Without even looking she knew it was the captain was walking over to them.

"Captain," Kailen said confirming what she already knew.

"We're ready to set sail," Law said.

"I figured," Kailen said.

Neo knew she should turn around and apologize to him but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Looking at him would only confuse her more. She had to think first. She had to figure out what she was going to tell him.

"If it's all right with you," Kailen then said. "I'd like to take Neo and the cubs out into the woods. I believe I found a bear that might take the cubs in."

"Take Shachi and Penguin with you," Law said.

"Of course." Kailen nodded. "We won't be gone long."

The two pirates soon joined them via Law's Room.

"Huh?" They looked around. Shachi was pulling up the zipper on his boiler suit. Neo hoped he wasn't brought from the bathroom.

"Go with these two," Law said.

"Aye, Captain," they said before he walked off.

"So where are we going?" Penguin asked.

"To take the cubs to a surrogate," Kailen said. "Or I hope so."

Neo could feel the pirates turn their eyes to her. With an exhale she turned to them. Her eyes went to Law's back. The captain was still walking towards the sub. She forced her eyes off him. "Yeah. It's time to let them go."

"Are you sure?" Penguin asked.

"Yes." Neo nodded. "I'm sure."

"Let's go." Kailen turned and lead them towards the woods.

"Come on, you two," Neo called for the cubs. They stopped wrestling and followed after her. The walk between the group was silent but for the playful cries of the cubs and birds singing. Fifteen minutes into the walk a small bubbling of a stream appeared. She and the two pirates mimicked Kailen when he crouched down to some bushes. Peering over they saw the stream. A bear was sniffing along the bank. Neo could tell immediately that's the bear Kailen had spoken with. She had to be in her twenties and had a few cubs of her own.

"That the bear you're leaving the cubs with?" Shachi whispered.

"I hope so," Kailen said.

Neo looked at him when he looked at her. His eyes said yes despite his words. She nodded at him before turning her attention to the cubs. "All right, you two. It's time for you to become wild again." They placed their front paws on her arms. Tears pool in her eyes as she hugged them. "You're going to be all right. You're strong. Go on now."

The cubs nodded before scurrying through the bushes.

The group watched as the cubs scrambled up to the bear. She sniffed them, pushed them around with her muzzle before leading them off into the woods.

Neo bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling and from crying. She leaned into her brother when the warmth of his arm appeared around her.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get back to the sub."

Neo nodded, brushing away her tears. Standing up she allowed him to lead her back to the sub. They climbed aboard. The door was shut.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kailen asked.

Neo paused at the stairs. Shachi and Penguin continued on down them to do whatever their assignments were in getting the sub sailing. She knew what she had to do. She had to tell him. "I'm going to tell him about the bond. I haven't figure out how to say it yet."

"All right then," Kailen said. "I'll be in the rec. room for a while if you need me."

Neo nodded. She watched him go before finally forcing herself to move. Walking down the stairs she met up with Conner. "Uh, hey, do you know where the captain is?"  
"He's in the control room at the moment," Conner said.

"Thanks." She continued down the stairs. Her heartbeat fell into sync with her shoes tapping on the stairs. She picked at her shirttail while trying to figure out how to word what she was going to tell him. Her feet stalled on the fifth floor. Just down this empty hall the captain was inside of the control room. Gulping she forced herself to walk onward. The engines purred like new as she passed the room. The purr was replaced by beeping of the controls when she reached the control room. Peaking inside she found it was just Law and one other crewmate. They were talking. She pulled back and pressed her back against the wall, thinking about her brother's words. Perhaps things were getting too complicated. Perhaps it would be best to just tell him and the crew everything. Despite a few issues she felt no real danger from them. But was that the right thing to do in this situation? Should she trust them with their secrets?

"There something wrong?"

Neo jumped at Law's voice. She turned to face him but was only able to stare at the smiley on his hoodie. "N-no. Why would you think that?"

"You were just standing there and looked a bit pale," Law said.

"I'm fine," Neo said. Seconds ticked by. She licked her lips. Her fingers fiddled with her shirttail. Mentally she tried to encourage herself to speak. Nothing happened. "If you didn't need anything." Law stepped around her.

Her heart hammered. Spinning around she grabbed the back of his hoodie. "Wait!" Her face flushed when he glanced back at her. She released him and shifted on her feet. Her eyes darted all around the hall in hopes for a distraction. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab you like that. I just…there's something…" She exhaled and looked him directly in the eyes. "Can we talk? In private?"

A beat. "Sure."

Licking her lips she followed him up the stairs. A couple crewmates gave them curiously looks as they walked by. Law led her to his room. Opening the door he stepped inside the gestured with a nod for her to enter. He flipped on the light and closed the door before going to his desk to sit.

"So what is it?" Law asked propping his sword upon his desk.

"It's about what happened between us in the brig," Neo said taking a quick glance at him.

"Oh?" Law's eyebrows rose. "What about it?"

"Well, it was…a bonding," Neo said.

"A bonding?" Law gave her a skeptical look.

She nodded. Dropping her eyes to the floor she tried to order her thoughts. "It's something that can happen with our people. I mean a few of them. It's actually a very rare occurrence. Only two others bonding have occurred in our history." When he didn't reply she looked up. He was studying her with an intense gaze. His eyes weren't cold, as they have been before; they were more curious and cautious. It was clear he wasn't sure if he believed her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ran away before…I mean, I should have it's just…I didn't know…I wasn't trying…with the bear cubs and all I just…"

"What happens with this bond?" Law asked.

"Not much really." Neo rubbed her hand on her left arm. "If it's like the other two that's happened we'll just feel each other's pain."

"Feel each other's pain?" Law kneaded his eyebrows.

"That's correct." Neo nodded. "I'll feel your pain and you'll feel mine. But it won't be as bad for the feeler. I mean if I get stabbed or something it'll hurt worse for me than it will you because I'm the one receiving the injury."

"Understood," Law said. "Are there any risks involved in this bonding?"

"Uh." Neo shifted.

"Tell me what it is." Law frowned. " _Right now_."

"It's only happened once before, but the last bonded pair died," Neo said. Alarm rose in Law's expression. "But that was because they were forced apart by their parents. It's believed that a bonded pair can't live without each other. Those two were romantically involved though. That's why they died."

"And the other pair?" Law asked. "Were they romantically involved?"

"Uh, yes." Neo nodded. "But they didn't die. They weren't forced apart or anything. So we don't have to worry about that. It's not like we're going to be romantically involved or anything. We're not even friends."

"You are correct, Miss Neo," Law said.

Neo's heart sank when he called her Miss again. Despite being in a mess at the time she still recalled Law saying just her name. It was so gentle, caring, understanding. Now their moment in the brig seem to have disappeared as quick as it came. But it was still fresh in her mind. The way he held her, what he told her, and calling her completely by her name paraded through her mind. She wanted to hear him say her name again, just her name.

"When will we be able to feel each other's pain?" Law asked. "And why did this happen in the first place?"

"We should be able to feel it any time now. I guess we could experiment if you wanted," Neo said.

"Not necessary." Law waved her off. "I'm sure one of us will be hurt soon enough."

Neo nodded. "As for the other question. We don't really know. It's just something that happens. And as I've already said, is extremely rare. That's really all the information we have on the subject. I'm sorry if you were expecting more."

"I wasn't," Law said. "You two still keep things from me."

"I'm sorry," Neo said.

"Don't worry about it," Law said leaning back in his chair. "I'm starting to get use to it. A little bit anyway."

"I'm also sorry about before." Neo shifted on her feet. "With the bear cubs and all."

"I already knew that," Law said. "And in understand a bit more now on why you acted that way."

"Yeah. My emotions have been out of control." Neo grinned sheepishly.

"It's to be expected with what you went through," Law said. "My own emotions use to be out of control."

"How did you manage to get them back under control?" Neo asked.

Law didn't answer.

"Fair enough. I have my secrets and you have yours. I'll leave now since I've said everything I wanted to say," Neo said. "Unless there's something else you wanted to talk about."

"Not at this time," Law said.

Neo nodded and headed for the door.

"Wait," Law said when she was about to open it. She turned back to him. "I don't hold anything against you."

"What?"

"You're just being emotional." Law's hat fell over his eyes. "I'll let it pass this time. But I do expect you to conduct yourself in a better manner in the future. I am the captain here and I expect you to act like it."

"Yes, sir," Neo said. "I will." She turned to leave but paused when a small smile formed on his lips. But what did the smile mean? "So, um, are we okay?"

"I guess so." Law shrugged. "Only time can actually answer that."

"Yeah." Neo nodded and left the room. Walking down the hall, she mumbled, "I guess time will tell soon enough."

 **...**

 **Aurthor's Notes: Sorry for the delay. I had to house/cat sit this week and forgot to upload the chapter so I could post it.**


	18. Take off Into Confusion

Take off into Confusion

"That was amazing!" Archer leaned back in his chair he rubbed his full stomach. "Another good meal by our lovely cook!"

"You're sweet." Neo smiled.

"Here you go." Penguin handed her another plate to dry.

Neo took it and ran her towel over its shiny surface.

"If you keep eating so much you're going to get fat," Conner said before taking a drink of his coffee.

"I didn't eat that much," Archer said.

"You ate three platefuls," Conner said.

"It wasn't that much." Archer crossed his arms. "You're exaggerating. Typical for our resident pessimist."

"Being a pessimist has nothing to do with telling the truth," Conner said.

"You guys are so silly," Neo said. "There was plenty of food. And you all exercise enough. I doubt you'll get fat."

"You're so cute." Archer winked. "Always concerned about us."

Neo smiled. Picking up her stack of plates, she put them away then turned to Penguin. "I'm going to go check on Bepo. If that's all right with you."

"Go ahead." Penguin nodded. He wiped down a glass and sat it down on the counter. "I'll finish up here."

"Thanks, Penguin." Neo hustled towards the door and up the stairs to the medical bay. Entering into Bepo's recovery room she found the bear was getting out of bed. Her heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing?"

"Neo," Bepo said.

"You shouldn't be up." Neo rushed over to him. "You're still injured."

"I'm fine," Bepo said.

Neo's eyes went to the bandage around his chest. Despite the bandages being pristine white she could still see the blood that once was on his furry chest. A shiver ran over her body. "It's only been six days. Are you sure you should move?"

"I know that," Bepo said. He looked across the room. "The captain said I can leave this room today. Right, Captain?"

"Captain?" Neo followed the bear's gaze and found Law tossing some rubber gloves into the trashcan. She jumped at the sight of him. "Oh. I didn't even notice you were in here."

"Obviously," Law said walking back over to them.

"The captain just finished up an exam and changing my bandages." Bepo rubbed his fur just below the bandage. "Everything looks good. Well, everything except where the captain had to shave my fur. It's going to take forever to grow back."

"Oh." Neo, realizing she was still looking at the man, jerked her eyes away from him and back to Bepo. "I should have known. I guess. You are his patient after all. So, um, are you sure you're feeling well enough to leave?"

"I'm feeling fine." Bepo grabbed a clean boiler suit off the foot of the bed and pulled it on over his boxers. "There's still some pain, but it's manageable."

Neo nodded slowly. He did seem to be fine. Still she worried. For some reason she kept picturing the wound opening up and everything inside falling out.

"As long as he takes it easy he'll be healed in no time at all," Law said. His own eyes avoiding Neo. "That means no fighting."

"Aye, Captain." Bepo nodded, his eyes darting between the two avoiding eye contact.

Neo shifted on her feet. It was obvious the bear noticed something was different between her and his captain. Scanning the room she found some empty dishes on the nightstand that Law had brought up. "Oh, you ate. That's good."

"Yes," Bepo said. "It was amazing as always. You and Penguin are a great team in the galley."

"Thank you. I'll take those to the galley and pass on your compliment." Neo moved to pick them up. But before she could touch them Law scooped them into his hands. His warmth passed over to her when his skin brushed against hers. Her heart skittered hard against her ribs.

"I'll take those," Law said. Clearly he wasn't in a hurry to move away as he pulled the dishes close to him in a slow manner. "I'm heading there anyway."

"O-okay," Neo said. Coolness settled over her when he finally moved away. Instantly she missed his warmth. Just as quickly she pushed the feeling aside. There was no reason for it. It was nonsense. Him touching her was only an accident. Still she found herself unable to turn around as his boots tapped against the floor. Seconds later the sound faded. Only then did she notice her body was tense. She relaxed.

"Uh, Neo?" Bepo then said.

"Yes?" She turned to him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," Neo said. "Why do you ask?"

"There was some sort of odd tension between you and the captain," Bepo said. "I'm not sure how to describe it. It wasn't hostile like it usually is, but it wasn't exactly calm either. Did something happen between you two?"  
"You mean he didn't…" Her voice trailed off. She didn't have to ask. If Bepo was asking if anything happened between them two then it was obvious the captain didn't tell anyone anything.

"Neo?"

"It's fine," Neo said deciding it might be best to keep the bond a secret if the captain didn't tell his best friend. "Something did happen. But it was a good thing. Your captain and I will be getting along better from this point on."

"I'm glad." Bepo nodded with a smile. "I was worried that you two might do nothing but fight all the time."

"Well, I can't promise we won't have our fights." Neo clasped her hands behind her back and rocked onto her heels. "But they won't be as bad as they have been."

"You two must have bonded then," Bepo said.

"Bonded?!" Neo squeaked. "Why would you say that?!"

"Because of the bear cubs," Bepo said. "I have no idea what happened between you two but since you let the cubs go you two have been acting more civil towards each other."

"Oh, that," Neo said. "I guess you could say that we did have a bonding moment over them."

"Well, whatever happened between you two I'm glad you're starting to like each other now," Bepo said heading for the door.

"Yeah, well, we still have a long way to go I'd say." Neo followed Bepo out of the room. "So you're really fond of the captain, aren't you?"  
"Of course I am," Bepo said. "I'll follow him no matter where he goes."

"That's sweet," Neo said. "You all seem really loyal to him."

"I guess we are," Bepo said. "It's hard not to admire and be loyal to him when he's so strong. And of course there's the fact that he saved me from Penguin and Shachi."

"It's hard to see them actually doing that to you." With her hands still behind her back, Neo glanced up at the ceiling before looking over at her friend. "How old were you when that happened?"

"I was nine years old," Bepo said.

"Nine? How old are you now?" Neo asked.

"Twenty," Bepo said.

Neo halted on the step. "Twenty?"  
"Something wrong?" Stepping off the last step to the fifth floor Bepo turned to her.

"We're the same age then," Neo said. "Or we will be. I'll be turning twenty in a few weeks."

"The crew had spoken about your age before. We all still have a hard time see you as being my age," Bepo said. "You look so young. Your brother looks really young too."

Neo shrugged. "I guess we just age gracefully or something. Some people do that, you know?"

Bepo nodded headed down the hall.

"What's your home island like?" Neo asked. The humming of the engines became louder as they walked by the engine room.

"Like any other I suppose," Bepo said. "But there are a lot of differences."

"Like what?" The two entered into the navigation room. Neo breathed in the ink and smell of snails. Her eyes went to the snails napping quietly on the table cluttered with maps. The snails woke from their slumber. Their eyes locked onto Neo. She walked over to them and stroked their tiny heads.

"Well, Zou is full of minks and only minks," Bepo said. "And it's not really an island. My home is on the back of a giant elephant called Zunisha. So a log pose won't be able to find it."

"Zunisha? A giant elephant?" Fascination filled Neo's body and soul. She had to know more.

"That's right." Bepo nodded. Papers rustled from his digging in a drawer.

"Amazing," Neo said. "I'd like to see it some day."

"Maybe you will."

Neo turned to the bear. He had stopped digging into the drawer but his paw was still inside of it. "What do you mean?"  
"You don't have to leave," Bepo said. He stood up straight but his shoulders and head sunk. His claw scratched the wooden drawer. "You…you could stay with us."

Neo opened her mouth to reply but couldn't find any words. It hadn't crossed her mind before that it was possible to stay with this crew. Before now the pirates were nothing more than a way to get to Sabaody. But now that things were changing between her and the captain it was a possibility. A small one but one nonetheless.

"I'm sorry." Bepo hung his head. "I shouldn't have said that. You have your own home to return to."

"Maybe," Neo said.

"What?" Bepo looked up at her.

Shifting on her feet, Neo rubbed her forehead. The very idea of staying with this crew was silly. It couldn't happen. "Honestly, I'm not sure what we're going to do. Growing up I always wanted to sail with Godfather and his crew. And with what happened to my parents…"

"Your parents?" Bepo asked.

Neo gnawed her bottom lip. With a deep breath she said, "They were murdered by someone I trusted. That's the real reason my brother and I are trying to find our godfather."

"I'm sorry." A pause. "Do the others know?"

Neo shook her head. The snails shifted closer to the edge of the table. They wanted to get closer to her. "Only the captain knows. I broke down and told him that when he threatened to lock me up in the brig if I didn't release the cubs."

"The captain threatened you?" Bepo's eyes widened.

"You should be surprised," Neo said looking up at him. "He's done that before. Anyway, I knew how the cubs felt. They lost their mom too. That's why I didn't want to let them go. After I told him about our parents he told me about his and what happened in Flevance."

"So that's what happened between you two," Bepo said. "He told you about his family and his home."

"Yeah." Neo rubbed her neck. "Apparently our bond was over the murder of our parents. Irony at its finest, I guess."

"He told you?" Bepo asked. A bit of disbelieve peppered his tone.

"He did." She nodded. "And I'm glad he did. We understand each other a little better now."

"I should say so," Bepo said.

Neo turned back to the snails and stroked them again. One crawled towards her. Holding her hand still she allowed it to crawl up her skin, leaving a thin like of slime in its wake. A small smile pulled across her lips. Her mind drifted back to her parents. A dull ache filled her chest. The pain of their death still hurt but it hurt a lot less now. She wondered if telling the captain and Bepo about her parents was the reason why.

"Hey, let's go outside," Bepo said.

"You want to go outside?" Neo asked.

"I've been inside far too much." Bepo shut the drawer. "I was going to do some work in here but I really could use some fresh air. So I'm going to go out on the deck for a while."

"I guess that would be nice," Neo said. "And the snails? Would it be all right if I took them with us?"

"That'll be fine. I'd enjoy the company." Bepo looked at the snails crawling over her body. "They might like it too. Obviously they love you already."

"I tend to have that effect on animals." Neo rubbed a snail under his chin.

"I've noticed." Bepo headed for the door.

Several crewmates gave her and the snails odd looks as they passed them in the halls and on the stairs. No one mentioned them. It appeared the crew was starting to get use to her odd habits when it came to animals. She found it nice. Animals were always a big part of her life. She wanted them back in her life.

Chatter from three crewmates greeted them upon stepping outside. The three looked to be having a good time, and didn't notice their arrival, so Neo and Bepo headed to their right. Bepo laid down on the warm deck. "So nice."

Neo sat down beside him with the snails on her arms and shoulders. A pod of dolphins arched out of the water twenty yards away from the sub pulling her eyes to them. A longing filled her when she saw them. Dolphins were one of her favorite sea creature to swim with. They always knew how to have fun no matter what was going on around them.

"You like dolphins?" Bepo asked.

"I do." Neo nodded. "I swam with them a lot growing up. Have you ever swam with them?"  
"Never," Bepo said.

"Too bad," Neo said. "You'll have to one day. They're really fun to play with."

"I'd probably scare them. I am a bear after all," Bepo said.

"That may be true, but if you intent them no harm then there won't be a problem," Neo said. "There're so many beautiful things in the sea. And they're one of them."

"You sound like you've spent a lot of time in the water," Bepo said.

"I have." Neo grinned thinking of all the times she had been under the water. She couldn't count them all. "It was a good way to hide from my duties."

"Duties?"

"Oh, uh, I mean my chores and all." Neo scratched her cheek. "You know, typical stuff that kids and teens always try to avoid."

"Makes sense." Bepo's nose twitched. "I even had times like that."

"Yeah." Neo looked at the snails. Three of the six had moved down to her legs. "If your hometown is on the back of an elephant how did you get down from it? And how do you get back up?"

"I climbed down," Bepo said. "I had planned on only getting a better view of the ocean but the waves ended up sweeping me away. To get back up you can climb if you're good enough. But there's also a pulley system the minks have."

"Then if you go there you won't have to leave your sub behind?" Neo looked at him.

"That's right." Bepo nodded with a yawn. "As long as we get someone's attention we can get pulled up. The minks have sailed the seas before. A few have even been pirates."

"What kind of minks are there?" Neo asked.

"There are all kinds. Polar bears," Bepo said.

"Obviously." Neo leaned closer to him.

"There are deer types, ape types, monkeys, cats, dogs," Bepo said.

"So just about all the animals in nature are minks?" Neo asked.

"That's about right." Bepo nodded.

"Oh!" Neo squealed. Her body attempted to ball up in excitement but she stopped herself so she didn't hurt the snails. "I really, really, _really_ , want to see this place."

"Maybe you can, as I've said before," Bepo said.

Neo slumped. "Well, first things first. We have to find our godfather. Maybe one day we can visit your home."

"I hope you can find him. And I hope you can return to your home," Bepo said.

"Thanks, Bepo," Neo said. Shifting she tried to get more comfortable on the hard deck.

"You can lean on me if you want," Bepo said.

"Hm? Lean on you?" Neo looked at his large belly. With his boiler suit he did look like a fluffy orange pillow. "No, I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. Not if you lean on my stomach," Bepo said. "The captain does it all the time."

"The captain leans against you?" Neo asked.

"That's right." Bepo patted his stomach. "Come on. I insist."

"Well…okay. If you really want me to." Neo shifted again.

"I do." Bepo placed his paw on her shoulder and nudged her closer.

Neo gulped. She pressed against his side, his warmth soothing her nerves of hurting him. "You're like a giant pillow or marshmallow."

Bepo smiled with a nod.

Neo settled into him. A couple snails slinked onto Bepo's stomach as the bear started to drift off. Summoning an earth crystal she created the snails some algae to eat. With her arms crossed over Bepo's stomach she watched with a smile as the snails ate their treats to Bepo's snoring.

"What are you doing to my transponder snails?"

Neo jumped. Spinning around she looked up at the captain. Having been so distracted by the snails that she didn't even hear him come outside. "Uh, just feeding them a snack. Is that a problem?"

"No, it's fine," Law said. "Just don't over feed them. They have a job to do after all."

"They just make phone calls. I don't think over eating will hurt that." Neo rolled her eyes. "Besides I'm not going to over feed them."

"Why did you bring them out here?" Law asked.

"They wanted to come." Neo shrugged.

"They _wanted_ to come out here?" Law cocked an eyebrow.

Neo gulped when the captain's gaze seemed to pierce into her soul. "Yeah, well, they just did. Okay? As a matter of fact, they _told_ me they wanted to come out here."  
"If you say so." Law shrugged. Removing his sword from his shoulder, he sat down beside her.

Neo's body tensed at his closeness. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting down." Law pulled his hat down over his eyes.

Neo shifted and leaned back against Bepo. Her shoulder brushed against Law's. If he felt it he made no move to acknowledge it. Still she shifted away from him, giving them more space. Nervously picking at her shirttail she glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes. With his hat over his eyes there was no way to tell if he was napping or if he was secretly watching her. An unfamiliar twinge pinged in her heart. It was an exciting feeling but also a scary one.

"Is there a problem?" Law lifted his head.

Neo jumped and looked away. "N-no."

"Then why were you staring at me?" Law asked.

"No particular reason," Neo said. "I just find it a bit…odd that a guy like you leans against a cute bear like Bepo."

"Odd?"  
"Yes. _Odd._ You two are so different from each other. I find it very hard to believe you two can be such good friends," Neo said.

"I suppose you might have a point," Law said.

"I _do_ have a point," Neo stressed. "You two are like night and day."

"Opposites attract so they say. You and your brother are like night and day," Law said.

"We're not as different as you and Bepo are," Neo said. "He's nice, sweet, calm, and very cute. You're harsh, don't hesitate to kill, threat me all the time, and you're just plan rude at times."

"I never signed up to be a gentlemen." Law smirked. "Besides your brother is far more relaxed than you are. He has a level head, he talks things out, and he listens to me. You aren't level headed, you want to argue instead of talk, and you don't listen."

Neo glared but it faded quickly. He was right. Kailen was far calmer than she is, especially in their current situation. Slumping down against Bepo she crossed her arms. "Fine. You win. This time. But you are a major cause in our arguments."

Law's smirk grew. His hat fell back over his eyes. "Think that if it makes you feel better."

Neo growled.

The men at the other end of the deck continued chatting before heading back inside. Neo flinched when they paused to take in their captain and herself. They snickered and proceeded on. Their voices faded away the farther inside they got. It left only the sound of the ocean waves, Bepo's snoring, and a seagull calling overhead. Tilting her head back she started up at the blue sky before her eyes drifted over to Law. His body was a bit more relaxed from before but she still couldn't tell if he was awake or asleep. Her eyes ran down his arm to his tattoo. It was an odd tattoo. Nothing like the ones her godfather's crew had. While it was obvious the inner circle was that of the man's jolly roger it still looked more like some sort of gear with a circle of triangles around it. Her eyes went down to his hand. The _gear_ was there too. Only thing one had four _legs_ , as she saw them, instead of six. Then there was the _DEATH_ tattoo on his fingers, each letter stitched over a finger. The thought of his parents, sister, and entire hometown flashed through her mind. It made her wonder if the tattoos were influenced by that event.

Her hand lifted and moved towards the black ink. Her fingers traced the tattoo on his forearm. His skin slightly dry, from washing for surgeries she assumed. A gaze fell upon her. Her fingers froze, her heart leaped. Her eyes lifted to his. Heat rushed to her face. She started to pull away, but paused when she noticed his eyes weren't filled with anger. Instead they were soft, curiously inspecting her. She gulped then licked her lips. His eyes fell to observe the movement before pulling back to her eyes. She pulled her hand away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Law grabbed her wrist.

Neo started, her mind flashing back to when he slammed her against the cell bars. Pain was sure to happen. But nothing happened. He didn't do anything but hold her wrist in place. His callused fingers loose around her wrist but not enough for her to fall from his touch. Her lips parted to ask him what he was doing. Nothing came out. Law just continued to stare into her eyes until his thumb started making circles over her skin. Her heart fluttered at his touch. The sounds around them faded. He lifted her hand to his face.

A sudden boom rocked the ship. The two flew forward to the ground. Her elbow landing on the hard wood.

"What was that?" Neo pushed herself back up and cupped her throbbing elbow.

"Captain! We're under attack!" Shachi ran out of the door.

"What?!" Bepo woke up before another boom rocked the ship. "What's going on?"

"Cannon fire off the stern," Shachi reported. "They hid their pirate flag and slipped upon us!"

Law grabbed his sword off the deck and stood up. "Bepo get back inside. And take Neo with you."

"What?!" Neo leaped to her feet.

"No arguing." Law unsheathed his sword. "Bepo and Archer can't fight right now. I need someone to have their backs in case these pirates slip inside."

Neo wanted to protest, but the captain was right. Bepo and Archer were unable to defend themselves at the moment. While she wanted to help defend the sub she knew they needed her more. "All right."

Law glanced at her. A moment of disbelief flashed through his eyes. "Then get inside."

"Let's go, Bepo." Neo turned to the bear. He was already on his feet. She summoned her earth crystals, readying some vines incase she needed to grabbed him as the cannon balls continued to fall around them. The crew rushed out of the sub. A loud thump and several clinks caused her to turn around. The enemy ship had reached the port side of the sub. A wooden plank and several grappling hooks were now connecting the two water vessels. Her heart hammered. The pirates clashed. Guns fired out, filling the air with blood and hot lead.

"Neo!" A vine wrapped around her body, pulling her into the sub. She glanced up to find Kailen kneeling in front of her. "Did you get hit?"  
"Uh, no," Neo said. "I'm fine." She looked to Bepo. Archer was standing a few feet from him, trying to stay out of the line of fire. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," Archer said.

"Yeah." Bepo nodded.

"Good." Neo smiled. Her eyes turned back to the fight outside. A couple pirates were already on the deck either knocked out or dead. Her heart flipped until she noticed a few of them were wearing the boiler suit of the Heart Pirates. Kailen rushed by her. "Where are you going?!"

"To help!" Kailen said.

Neo growled but did nothing to stop him. Hiding his crystals where no one could see them, he snapped out his vines, disarming several enemy pirates of their guns. The Heart Pirates cheered seemingly excited and revived they had an upper hand on the enemy now. Suddenly a hot pain shot through her upper right arm. She grabbed it, thinking a stray bullet had hit her. But there was no blood. Her shirt and skin remained intact.

"Neo, did you get hit?" Archer moved closer to her.

"No," Neo said. Her eyes roamed back out into the battle. It was hard to tell if he was really hurt with the way he continued to swing his sword around. But she knew the pain was his. "I'm okay."

"Good." Bepo sighed. "I was worried you got shot or something."

"We should move away from here," Archer said. "The captain won't be very happy if we get hurt. Again."

Neo didn't move. Her eyes lingered on the captain.

"Neo, please," Bepo said.

Sighing, Neo pushed herself to her feet and moved farther back into the sub.

…

Law winced when an enemy sword sliced through his arm. His body jumped back instinctively. The pirate swung at him again. He ducked and swung back, effectively disarming and maiming the pirate. Something drew his eyes to the door of the sub. Neo was inside, on the floor holding her arm. The same arm he got hit on. Then he remembered the bond. He frowned apparently their bond was real unless she had been hit by a bullet. Pushing it from his mind for the moment he turned back to the battle. His crew cheered. Kailen had joined the fight. With the way the green haired man was holding his hands he easily assumed the man was hiding his crystals so no one would see them. Smart on his part. Though Law was unsure of how long Kailen would be able to keep his crystals a secret.

"Die!" a man said. The sun glinted off his swinging sword.

Law side stepped the man, hammered the hilt of his sword onto the man's neck, and then warped him into the sea. Spinning around he clashed swords with another pirate before warping him into the sea as well. The cries and gunfire of the battle raged on for fifteen minutes before they finally faded. Most of the enemy pirates had been defeated before their captain sounded the retreat. Law warped the beat, and dead, men to the other ship. He seethed his sword and turned to his men. "Let's get the wounded into the infirmary."

"Aye," the crew said.

Law headed inside. Relief filled him to find the three that remained inside had moved farther away from the fight and seemed uninjured. Well, all but for Neo. His eyes fell to her arm. There was no blood on her arm or her shirt. His hand gripped the sheath. The bond was real. She _had_ felt his pain. Neo looked up at him. Guilt was present in her bluish grey eyes. Part of him wanted to blame her for this. It was her odd glow that did this after all. But another part of him knew it wasn't her fault. Clearly it was something she couldn't control since if she could have she would have. "Bepo. Archer. Head up to the medical bay and help where you can."

"Aye, Captain." The two headed upstairs.

Law stepped closer to Neo. His mind swirled around their bond and his life as a pirate. Injury was going to be inevitable. He was going to cause her a lot of pain when they entered into battle. But he wasn't going to stop. She was going to have to get use to it. "I won't stop fighting because of this bond."

"What would you like me to do?" Neo asked.

Law's eyebrows rose. That wasn't what he was expecting. There's no way she was use to a lot of pain, physical anyway. His eyes ran over her bare arms. Her skin was too smooth to have been marred from any kind of attack. Her skin that was a beautiful golden tanned. A color he had never seen before on anyone. A color he wondered if was natural or if it was from spending hours out in the sun. The thought jolted his body. With an internal growl, and a frown, he forced the thoughts of skin and skin colors out of his head. "Is there a lot of pain?"

Neo's eyebrows drew together. Her confusion was obvious. It was a question she wasn't expecting.

"I'm a doctor. You are currently under my care," Law said. "That's all this is."

"Of course. And no." She paused when a couple pirates rushed by them to the medical bay. Then she added, "It's more of a minor annoyance than anything. I told you before that the pain would be less for the one who didn't get hit directly."

"Captain!" Shachi called from the stairs. "We're all up here!"

"Coming." Law headed for the stairs. "You can do as you wish now. I have to take care of my men."

One by one Law took inventory of his crew's injuries and gave them a number of who needed care first. The worst was a severed finger. But with his skills and devil fruit power it didn't take him long at all to sew the limb back on. Moving on to the next he glanced across the crowded room to find that Neo had decided to help. She was cleaning Penguin up from the blood he had from a few cuts. Her focus on Penguin was intense yet gentle. The concern she had for the crew was real.

He saw it as a problem. She and her brother were only temporary prisoners on his sub. At some point, probably at Sabaody, the two would leave. If not with their godfather then with the person who they were seeking on Sabaody. It wasn't a good idea for them or his crew to get close to each other. Or so he thought. He really had no idea what would happen to them after they reached Sabaody. If they didn't find their godfather there, or whoever else they were looking for, they had no reason to stay on the island. But what did and mean? Would they continue to sail with him and his crew? Or would they use the opportunity to find another crew to sail with?

There was no way to answer those questions now. So all he could do was continue to take care of his men. Turning from the woman he inspected the cuts on his next patient. The antiseptic became strong. So strong it over powered the blood in the room. He eyed his medicine bottles. A lot of them were close to being half empty. He was going to have to stock up at the next island.

A couple hours later they were all done and patched up. Those still in the room picked themselves up and left. Law moved over to the sink to check his own wound. He removed his hoodie for a better view of his arm. Blood had leaked down to his elbow. It would have gone farther if it weren't for his rolled up sleeve. The lingering voices of his men leaving the room vanished. He was alone. Or he thought he was until someone shifted a few yards away from him. Thinking it was Bepo who choose stayed to help him he turned to the bear. His eyes widened. It wasn't his navigator. It was Neo. Standing there with her arms at her sides she looked so out of place in the surgical room. The room where much blood had been shed. Blood of his enemies that he captured and tortured for any reason he saw fit. And some of the blood his own crew's.

If she knew what went on in this room she wouldn't be so calm. She wouldn't be standing there staring at him. Then he noticed. Her eyes were locked onto his chest. They were wide. Her cheeks flushed red. Her fingers were curled around the edges of her shirt, probably puncturing holes in it with how tight her hands were clenched. A smirk pulled across his lips. It was obvious that she was attracted to him. Or at least growing attracted to him. Unable to let the opportunity pass, he leaned back against the sink to give her a better view of his body. He said, "I thought you had left with the others."

"I-I was…I mean, I was going to." She licked her lips. A move he found hard to ignore. "But I wanted to make sure you were all right." She shifted on her feet. "You're h-hurt, too. D-do you need help?"

"After seeing me use my devil fruit powers you think I need help?" Law pushed off the sink when she didn't reply. Apparently she was too stunned by the sight of his bare chest to have a decent conversation with him. Stepping up to her, he placed his finger under her chin, noting her smooth skin, again, before tilting her eyes up to his. "My eyes are up here, Miss Neo."

Neo jumped back, pulling her chin away from his finger. Her cheeks darkened two shades. "I know that!"

"Then why were you staring at my chest?" Law asked. His smirk grew when her entire face turned red. At that moment he noticed why his crew thought she was so cute. She was. It was almost like she was a naïve little child in more ways than one. Knowing she wasn't going to answer him any time soon he pulling away from her and walked back over to the sink. He tortured her enough for now. "You can stay if you like. But you should know I'll be using my devil fruit powers to fix my injury. It might bother you."

A moment went by before she said, "I can handle anything you can do."

"We shall see. Room." The blue film filled the room. Moving his fingers over his arm he removed it and his hand before pulling them in front of his body so he could work on the cut. By the time he got the cap off the disinfectant a sweet scent wafted over the chemical smell of the disinfectant. Neo had appeared beside him. Glancing at her he found her eyes, this time, were locked onto his severed arm and hand. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. His eyes dropped to her lips when she moved them. His brain took off on its own and wondered if they were as soft as the skin under her chin.

"Amazing," she whispered. Reaching up she tapped his floating hand. He flexed in response. "And it doesn't hurt?"

"No. It doesn't." Law forced his eyes off her and back to his task at hand. Using his severed hand and his other hand he cleaned out the wound. He glanced back over at her. She was still watching his arm with child like curiosity. "Is it a safe assumption that none of your godfather's crew has devil fruit powers?"

"I won't be telling you that," Neo said. "I don't want you to use it against them if they do or don't."

"You know about mine," Law said.

"It's not the same. You revealed it because it was necessary," Neo said. A few beats passed between them. "But I do promise that I won't reveal any of your secrets to Godfather and the crew."

"Excuse me?" Law glanced fully down at her.

Neo flicked a glance up at him. "You heard me. And I don't care if you believe me or not. I won't tell anyone about what I learn of you and your crew."

Law turned back to his arm. His brain ran over the likelihood of that. The chances of her not telling anyone seemed very slim. But then he had to admit that she didn't seem like the type to tell anyone about secrets she found out about someone. Well, there was the fact he had forced them onto his sub and threatened to lock her up. She could tell just out of spite because of that. Still, something inside of him was telling him she wasn't lying. "Fine. I'll believe you." He felt her surprise instantly. "You find that surprising?"

"Yeah, I do." Neo studied his eyes.

Law did as well. But the words were out there, hanging between them. And that was it. Nothing else was said while he finished cleaning then stitched up his arm. Feeling Neo wince at the pain he inflicted on her when pushing the needle through his skin, he reached for a numbing agent. He inserted the needle and medication before continuing. She stopped wincing after that. "Sorry. I forgot again."

"Don't worry about it," Neo said rubbing her arm. "It's your body. You can do whatever you want to it."

"I find it hard to believe you want to feel someone else's pain," Law said.

"It's fine. Really. I can handle it." Neo rocked back on her heels. "What about you? You feeling okay despite the cut?"  
"This is nothing. I've have worse injuries before," Law said.

"Comes with being a pirate," Neo said. "Godfather's crew has come home with many injuries before. A few times I wish they would stop being pirates and stay with me."

"But they won't," Law said.

"They won't. It's like being a pirate is in their blood," Neo said. "I think they'd literally die if they were forced to quit short of death or severe injury."

"A lot of pirates are like that," Law said putting the last stitch in his arm. After wrapping a bandage around the cut he put his arm and hand back in proper order then put all his medical equipment away. He turned to her.

"Uh, well, I guess I'll go see how the others are doing." Neo backed away from him, her eyes flittering to his chest and back to his face. "Unless there's something you need me for?"

"No," Law said. "You're free to go."

Neo nodded then left.

A coolness settled in the room when she disappeared out the door. It swirled around Law making goose flesh ripped across his skin. He turned back to his hoodie. With his Room still active, he pulled the blood out of the fabric, dumped it down the sink, draped the hoodie over his shoulder, and left the room. The main floor was void of people as he made his way to his room. Reaching the first level a few voices floated to him. Some were in the laundry room. He entered into his room. Tossing his hoodie at the foot of his bed he stepped over to his closet to get a clean one. Pulling it on he walked over to his bed. His eyes locked onto the mattress. Neo's medallion was still safely tucked inside of it. A small thought of giving it back to her lingered in his mind as he grabbed his hoodie from the bed and tossed it into his clothes hamper in the bathroom. She had yet to gain his trust for him to give it back.

The thought left him as he stepped out of his room. He wandered down the stairs. Laughter from the galley grabbed his attention. He went there. Peaking inside he found some of the crew and Kailen was sitting around while Neo and Penguin worked on some form of snack behind the counter. The redness from her cheeks had vanished. She was back to normal, seemingly having told no one of what happened between them. It made him wonder if she had said anything to anyone about their bonding experience, both with their parents murder and the glowing part. Considering he wasn't getting odd looks and questions from his crew he assumed she hadn't mentioned anything about it to them.

The thought made him wonder if she was going to say anything to them. Or if he even was going to. At the moment he found no reason to bring it up. But it was obvious that the crew would find out sooner or later. So he decided to keep it quiet until them. His eyes fell to Kailen. It was possible that he knew about the bond. Surely Neo would have told him about it since she was so shocked when it happened. Still the young man hadn't said anything to him.

He decided to let it go for now. Pulling himself away from the galley he headed back up to his room to try and get some work done. Back in his room he sat down at his desk. Placing his hat down he pulled out a few papers. The minutes ticked by. His eyes ran over the words on the paper but his mind ran over what happened between him and Neo in the medical bay. It was a bit concerning that she was growing attracted to him. But surely it was only a physical attraction. There was no way a woman in her right mind would fall for a guy who imprisoned her and threatened her and her brother.

Time passed. The sun had lowered in the sky. Colorful rays of red, orange, and yellow filled his room. It was a sign that dinner would soon be started, if it hadn't been already. Law propped his chin into his palm. No work had gotten done. His mind was too distracted by what happened in the medical bay. A dull ache came to his injured arm from sitting still for so long. Neo would be feeling it as well. He should get some painkillers or something so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. He sighed. The idea of taking painkillers so someone else wouldn't hurt bothered him. He didn't care about her enough to do that. So why did the thought cross his mind?

His eyes dropped down to the papers on his deck. An aggravated sigh escaped his lips. Clearly he wasn't going to be able to get any worked done. With a resigned sigh he got up from his chair, grabbed his hat, and headed back up stairs. Having left his sword in the operating room he went there first. He downed a couple pain pills before swiping his sword from the wall where he had left it. He went out on the deck. The sword slid from the sheath with a tug. A ray of light bounced off the blade. Law dropped the sheath on the deck then swiped his sword through the air. All the thoughts of the blue haired woman soon faded from his mind. She was replaced with pure instincts of gliding his sword through the air.

"Apparently the rules for your injured crewmates don't apply to you."

Law stopped at hearing Neo's voice. Turning he found her leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest.

"You're seriously out here practicing with your sword after almost getting your arm hacked off?" Neo frowned.

"My arm wasn't almost hatched off," Law said. "It was just a simple cut."

"A cut? A _simple_ cut? Simple cuts don't need eleven stitches," Neo said. "You shouldn't be using that arm right now."

Law shrugged. "It's still not a big deal. You don't have to be worried."

"I'm not worried," Neo said.

Law smirked. It was obvious she was, even if it was just a small amount.

"So you didn't tell anyone about…you know…our bonding thing?" Neo darted her eyes around the deck before forcing them to settle on Law's. "No one mentioned it when I was in the galley with them."

"I found no need for it," Law said resting the dull side of the blade on his shoulder. "What about you? Do you want to tell them?"  
Neo gnawed on her cheek. Studying her he found it was obvious that she was unsure about it.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. Though they will eventually notice." Law sliced his sword through the air. Both he and Neo flinched at the hot pain shooting through their arm. The hilt fell from his hand. Steel clanked on the wood.

"See? You're going to rip your stitches out." Neo rubbed her arm before walking over to him. Reaching down she grabbed the hilt.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Law said.

"Why not?" Neo stood up with the sword in hand.

Law's eyebrows drew together when the sword did nothing to Neo. It didn't react at all to her picking it up. It wasn't possible. No other human should have been able to touch his sword. His mind snapped back to her and Kailen's inhumane feel. They weren't human. And this confirmed it. But then what did that make them? What kind of creature could touch his cursed sword? Even Bepo couldn't touch it when it was out of its sheath.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Neo asked.  
"That sword," Law said.

"What about it?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"How can you do that? How can you pick it up?" Law asked flat out.

"Huh? Why wouldn't I be able to pick it up?" Neo's eyes filled with confusion. "Is something wrong with it?"

"Take a very close look at the blade," Law said.

Neo's eyes dropped to it. Two seconds and her eyes widened.  
"That's right," Law said. "It's a cursed blade. You shouldn't be able to touch it."

"Oh." It was obvious she had messed up.

"It's starting to make sense now. The inhumane feeling you two have is because you're not human. Isn't that right?" Law said.

Silence. Her eyes spun with many questions and fears of him figuring it out. She closed her eyes. Seconds later she said, "You are correct. We're not human."

"What are you?"

"Our people are called elementals," Neo said.

"Elementals?" Law probed.

"We're creatures, that look human, that can control nature through our crystals," Neo said.

"So there're more than you two?" Law asked.

"There are." Neo nodded. "There's probably about a million of us living on our home island. And some live among humans so I don't know how many of us there actually are in the world."

"There's some living among humans? How is that possible and your secrets haven't been discovered?" Law asked.

"Well, we all don't always reveal what we can do. We keep it secret because of how humans treat those who are different." Neo handed his sword over to him.

Law nodded. His hand reached out, brushing against hers, and took his sword back.

"Our people only reveal the truth of our nature to those we absolutely trust." Neo quickly pulled her hand back. "Well, that's how it usually is. Some people can feel that we're different. Like you and your crew did. But the stronger a person is the more they are able to notice that we _are_ different. If you all had been weaker you most likely would barely notice our differences. Or you wouldn't have noticed at all."

Law's mind spun with this new information, adding up everything Neo and Kailen had done since they had been on his sub. Another piece to his mysterious girl had fallen into place. "So that's why you were so connected to the bear cubs. Other than the murder thing."

"You could say that." Neo rubbed her arm. "We are a lot closer to nature and animals than humans are. We can…we can actually speak to animals."

Law cocked an eyebrow at her. There was no way that was possible.

"It's true. That's how we were able to get that older bear to take in the cubs," Neo said. "Kailen explained to her the situation. She agreed to teach them how to survive."

Law's eyebrow fell back into place. He did find it hard to believe a bear would just take in cubs like that. But now it made sense. "I see. So any more surprises you'd like to share?"

"Well, there's one more that I can tell you right now," Neo said.

"What is it?" Law watched her. While she said she was going to tell him she was still hesitating to get the words out.

"It's about my crystals. I can…I can use all the elements," Neo finally said.

"What?"

"It's actually pretty rare for our people to have more than one of the elements under their control," Neo said.

"You're just an odd ball all around, aren't you?" Law huffed.

"Yeah," Neo mumbled. Her eyes drew over to the horizon. "You're not lying."

Law took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. Part of him was starting to regret he saved this woman. He invited more than he thought onto his sub.

"I also have bells in my laughter," Neo blurted out.

"Bells?" Law replaced his hat. "You're kidding, right?"  
Neo took a deep breath. She laughed.

Law's heart fluttered. Bells, soft bells jingled from her laughter. And it wasn't a metaphor that he heard men use before to describe a woman's laughter. This woman _actually had_ _bells_ in her laughter. His jaw went slack.

She stopped, her eyes downcast to the deck. "It comes with having all the elements. But that's all I can tell you right now."

Law stared at her. A wave slammed against the sub, rocking it. Coming back to his senses he noticed it was darker now. The sun had set while he remained staring at her. Several minutes had come and gone. "Why are you telling me this?"  
"I don't know." She massaged her shoulder. "I guess because things are growing more and more complicated. And it's not like I'm going to be able to keep this all a secret. I will eventually get all my crystals back. Most likely it'll happen when you or one of your crew is around."

"Well, if you had only told me about this from the beginning we wouldn't have had the problems that we did," Law said. "You're too stubborn for your own good."

Neo snorted. "You have no room to talk, Captain. You are by far the most stubborn man I have ever meet. And selfish. Forcing two strangers onto your sub because you were curious to what one of them did. For all you knew we could have been mass murders. How stupid can one person be?"

Law smirked. Her tone had no sarcasm or disrespect in the word captain. Things _had_ changed between them.

"What are you smirking at?!" Neo planted her hands on her hips.

"You," Law said. "You're trying to turn this around on me when it's all your fault."

"My fault?" Neo stared at him for a second. "I didn't ask to get stabbed. I didn't ask to get held hostage. I didn't ask for any of this." She waved her hands around.

"Yet it happened. You could have been a better _guest_ on my sub," Law said purposefully trying to get under her skin. "Besides it was obvious you two weren't mass murders. If you had been you would have had wanted posters. And you wouldn't have been in the town as much as you were. And you certainly wouldn't have gotten a job."

"You are impossible!" Neo stomped over to him. Lifting her hand she poked him repetitively on his chest, eyebrows knitted together. "Just because you found someone interesting didn't give you the right to take us prisoner! You could have left us right where you found us!"

Law's smirk grew. "Would you really have preferred if I had left you there to die? Your brother wasn't going to take to a doctor. Well, not until I revealed I saw him using his crystals. You are better off with me than anyone else until you find your godfather. And you know that. If you really thought you were in danger from my crew and me then you and your brother would have escaped by now. I know you both are capable of that. You could go find your godfather, return home, and then come back for your necklace with reinforcements. If all of your people truly are like you two then there's no way my crew and I could stop you from ripping the sub apart. You'd get your necklace back."

Neo bristled.

Law knew he had hit the nail on the head. The two elementals did have the ability to escape from him. They didn't have to stay, even for her necklace.

"Oh! You are so…so…" Her hand snapped out. Grabbing a handful of his hoodie, she pulled him down to her and kissed him.

Law's smirk vanished. His heart hammered against his ribs. All the teasing he had planned vanished from his mind. She was kissing him. _She_ was actually _kissing_ him. Seconds ticked by before he heard Neo gasp. Her hand fell from his hoodie. She jumped back, hand coving her mouth. Her cheeks flushed. Law remained in his downward position. His eyes locked onto hers.

"Hey, Captain!"

Both Neo and Law jumped. They whipped around to find Penguin had wandered out on the deck. Law wondered if the man had seen the kiss.

"Is something wrong?" Penguin paused just outside of the door.

"No." Law straightened up. "Did you want something?"  
"Dinner's ready." Penguin jerked his thumb over his shoulder. He looked to Neo. "I thought you were coming to get him. Um, are you okay, Neo? You look a little red."

"Uh, yes," Neo squeaked. She cleared her throat. "Fine. Just fine. Sorry. We were, uh…I didn't notice that…"

"We were talking," Law said. This woman really needed to work on her poker face. "Time just got away from us."

"Oh." Penguin darted his hidden eyes between the two before nodding. "Well, it's ready whenever you two want to come in and eat. Sorry for interrupting you. You can continue."

Law had forced himself not to react to the man's words of continuing what they were doing. If only Penguin knew what had really happened. Or maybe not. It had to have been a mistake. There was no way Neo would have kissed him like that on purpose. She wasn't the type.

Penguin disappeared inside.

Law turned to get his sheath, stealing at glance at Neo. She was still standing still. Her cheeks still flushed with a bright red blush. He sheathed his sword before stepping beside her. Her reaction to the kiss shouldn't have been this extreme. Surely she has kissed a man before.

A light went on in his head. She _hasn't_ kissed a man before. If she had then there was no way she should react this way. Or so he thought. Kissing was never on the top of his list of things to do. Sure he's given a few women small, teasing pecks but nothing like Neo had given him. He was too busy with his plans to take down Doflamingo to be concerned about women and everything that came with them. "Miss Neo?"

Neo's eyes lifted to his. Her cheeks darkened. Her mouth opened but no words came out. Lost in her own confusion about the kiss she turned and ran into the sub.

Law watched her go. Despite not wanting it to his mind continued to spin around the kiss he had just received. Her lips were as soft as the rest of her skin. He tried to make sense of it. Of her kissing him and of why he was thinking about it. In a way it felt like he had stolen her first kiss despite _her_ being the one to kiss _him_. From what he knew about kissing men typically made the first move. But some women were bold enough to kiss a man first. Neo wasn't like those women. That was obvious. So why did she kiss him? Why didn't he push her away? They weren't friends. A kiss between the two of them was unwarranted. If she had kissed Penguin or Shachi it would have made sense. They spent time with her. They got to know her. He did nothing of the sort. Most of his time around her was medical reasons.

He shook his head.

There was no point in trying to figure this out. The kiss had to have been a mistake. Something she didn't think through. Something she did out of frustration from him teasing her. This was the only time they would ever kiss. Period.

…

 **Author's Notes: Ugh. This chapter was hard. I tried to get inside of Law's head and get out how he should feel at this point with Neo. I didn't want him to fall for her too fast but I wanted his relationship with her to start changing more now. I'm still not very good at writing conflicts.**


	19. More Confusion Added

More Confusion Added

Silence. She heard nothing. Not even her shoes pounding on the steps as she rushed down the stairs. Nor her heart that pounded in her head. Her body paused on the second floor. To her left was the galley. Her senses came back. The crew's laughter and the spicy smells of dinner came from the room. She knew she should go in there. She knew they were waiting for her. But there was no way she could face them. So she turned and headed to her right.

Her body wanted to slam the door behind her. She forced herself not to. The loud noise would bring the crew to see what was wrong. She couldn't face them right now. So she closed the door normally. Pressing her back against it her knees gave out on her. The steel door pushed up her shirt as she slid to the floor.

Her fingers tangled into her hair. She had kissed him. Of all people this planet she had kiss _that man_. Confusion was an understatement in the moment. And not just because she had kissed _him_.

Never before had she been kissed. And she had certainly never kissed a man before. Thanks to her being a royal most guys on Luminous were afraid of her. Others only wanted to use her. Then there was Raven. He was under the darkness crystal's influence so she had no idea if his reactions to her were solely because of that or if it was possible he really did like her. Though it didn't matter. She had felt nothing for him. And she didn't want her first kiss to be with someone she didn't like.

Kisses were meant to happen between a man and woman when they were attracted to each other. It was a symbol of their courtship. Or that's how it was on Luminous. At least it was when they kissed on the lips. She had gotten plenty of kisses from her parents, Kailen, and the crew, especially her godfather. Her relationships with them were crystal clear. Her relationship with this man, this pirate captain, was anything but clear now. So why did she do it? Why did she kiss him?

Allowing her mind to go back to the deck she tried to figure it all out. She was upset with him before she had grabbed him…the incident happened. But why? Never before had she done that. So what had changed between them now? Sure they were bonded, but that couldn't have been the cause. Being bonded with someone didn't _mean_ they would end up together as a romantic pair.

With a deep breath she calmed her mind and her pounding heart. There had to be clues in their conversation they had leading up to the incident. Her mind went over the words he said to her today. Nothing out of the ordinary came to mind. Nothing new seemed to have been said, excluding the parts about their bond and all. His smirk and his calm reactions towards her flashed through his mind. There was something different in them, something she couldn't put her finger on. The kiss came to her mind. His eyes showed no sign of anger. His voice had been calmer when he had spoken to her. And the smirk he wore on his face was playful.

"Is…it couldn't be," Neo said. "It's not possible. How could his attitude towards me have changed? Is it our bond?"

She picked her lip. Restlessness settled into her body. She needed to move. Standing up she paced the length of the room and thought. Many times she had thought about _getting_ her first kiss. It was an inevitable since Violet did nothing but talk about first kisses. Violet was adamant about guys kissing girls. A girl kissing a guy just wasn't in her reality. Neo wondered what her friend would think of her now. She had to admit that she wanted her first kiss to be given to her. Never did she think her first kiss would have been given away, especially to a guy she wasn't attracted to.

So why did it happen? Why did she kiss a man she wasn't attracted to? If she wasn't attracted to him…her thoughts trailed off when the memory of the time she had gone into his bathroom and envisioned him lying in the bathtub. Her mind added in the tattoo she had seen on his chest, the tattoo of a large heart, the smiley face being held by the heart, the six lines that wiggled up to his shoulders and the other odd lines at the bottom of the heart. She had no idea what they were.

Neo halted in her pacing. Her heart was racing so hard in her chest she thought it was going to jump through her skin. Was it possible she was starting to have feelings for the pirate captain? Or was it just a physical attraction? Biting her bottom lip she had to admit that the man did have some good looks. He was tall, tanned skinned, had decent smirk, his muscles were well sculpted, and he was loyal to his crew, and…and her heart sped up. He was loyal to his crew. She favored people who were loyal. The way the captain treated his injured men paraded through her head. The way the captain had spent that one night, if not more, sleeping by Bepo's side. Despite the harshness she had witnessed the captain do she had to admit that he looked so sweet and gentle during that moment. But he was a mean man. He didn't like her. He had taken her birth medallion and hidden it. He imprisoned her and her brother on his crew. He had put her on lock down. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere without someone from the crew going with her. He slammed her against the cell bars and threatened to lock her up. There was no way she could possible be falling for someone who would do all that to her.

Her heart raced on. His bare chest and the kiss refused to leave her mind.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair. There was no way she was going to be able to figure this out on her own. She needed to talk to someone about this. Someone who had more experience in this sort of thing. But who could she talk to? Who would be the best one? Her brother? He had always been there when she needed him. However they had never really talked seriously about her kissing boys or her getting kissed. When the subject came up Kailen's protective side came out. And that was it. He didn't want her kissing any guys. Their dad was the same way. Their mom was more lenient but she had her moments as well. Then there were her friends back home. All three of them had kissed boys when they were teenagers. Most likely she would have gone to them in this situation. Or even Benn. Benn would have been a good person to talk to. He was the most level head of the crew. He would have been a good person to talk to. But he wasn't here. And neither were her girl friends. All she had was her brother and the pirates.

A light tap at the door pulled her attention. It opened, letting light from the hallway pour inside. Kailen stepped into the room. "Neo?

Neo turned to him. Her heart jumped. She hoped she wasn't blushing anymore. There was no way she could tell him right now that she kissed the captain and might have feelings for him.

"You okay? I thought you were coming back to the galley," Kailen said. "You've been gone for quiet a while now."

"I was. I just needed a minute alone," Neo said.

"Ah. Had another fight with the captain, huh?" Kailen said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded, averting her eyes. "Something like that." She could feel his eyes studying her. It wasn't normal for her to lie to him. Most likely he could tell she was. She forced herself to look at him and smile. "I'm okay. It was really nothing. More like a little tiff than an actual fight. Let's go. I'm hungry."

"All right then." Kailen followed her when she headed for the door.

"Wait." Neo turned back to him. "There is something you need to know. I ended up telling the captain that we're elementals and I have all four elements and I laughed for him."

Kailen frowned.

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "It just kind of happened. I didn't tell him that I'm our people's royal or that Shanks is our godfather or where our home is. You were right. Things are getting far to complicated to keep this a secret from them."

"Are you considering telling them the _whole_ truth?" Kailen asked.

"I'm not sure about that." Neo wrapped her arms around herself. "Honestly, I don't really want them to know I'm a royal. I like the way they're treating me. I feel…"

"Normal?" Kailen offered.

Neo nodded.

"It's fine," Kailen said placing a hand on her shoulder. "But you should get mentally prepared to tell them the whole truth."

"I know." Neo nodded again. "I will be, at least as much as I can be. I think we should telling the others too."

"Would you like to tell them now?" Kailen asked.

"It might be best to do that and get it over with," Neo said.

"Then let's go. They're waiting for us." Kailen pushed the door open.

Neo lead the way out and down the hall. The crew was still chatting when they got to the galley door. She paused to take a deep, slow breath before stepping inside. Unable to stop herself, she glanced over at the captain. He looked up at her too. His expression was neutral. There were no signs of what he thought of the kiss. She hoped she was able to do the same. Heat was already starting to climb up her neck. Stepping to the end of the table, opposite of Law, she cleared her throat. The pirates turned their eyes to her. Her royal grace took over from all the formal announcements and ceremonies she had been through. She held her head high and addressed them. "There's something that I wish to tell you all." Pausing, she looked at Law. The gleam in his eyes was unmistakable. He was pondering what she was going to tell them. "As you all know my brother and I are different from you all."

"That's an understatement," Conner said.

"Hush." Archer elbowed his friend.

"It's the truth." Conner shrugged.

"That aside," Neo continued. "My brother and I are elementals."

"Elementals?" Shachi asked.

"That's right. We look human but we're not. We're creatures that are more in tuned with nature." Neo collapsed her hands in front of her. "All of our people can use nature. But we all don't have the use of all four elements."

"All four elements?" Bepo asked.

"Kailen here is an earth elemental. With his crystals he can use the ground and plants to do just about anything he wants." Neo gestured to her brother with her hand. Pausing she gulped. Her pulse hammered under her skin. "But there are others who can use more than one element. And…I am one of them. I can use all four elements."

The pirates stared at her.

Biting her cheek and dropped her eyes to the floor, Neo braced for rejection. After all, not many humans knew of their kind. And humans often hated what they didn't understand.

"That's so cool!" Archer said.

"What?" Neo looked up at him. The man's face was beaming.

"Being able to use the elements to your will sounds like an amazing ability," Archer said.

"So that's why you smell like nature," Bepo said.

"Yes." Neo nodded. "It is. We _are_ nature." She glanced at Penguin. He had his eyes, like always, hidden. He wasn't looking at her. He was down staring at the table. "I'm sorry. Not many humans know about us. If they did…well, I'm sure you could guess what would happen."

"Painful experiments, loss of freedom, being treated like an animal." Conner ticked off the outcome on his fingers.

"Thanks a lot," Neo said.

Archer grabbed Conner by his boiler suit. "If you don't shut up with that kind of talk I'm going to ram my crutches down your throat!"

"Truth."

"Annoying!"

"That's some heavy stuff you've been carrying around," Shachi said.

"That's only part of it," Kailen said. "The real reason we left our home is because our parents were murdered by someone we trusted. He took over our island. We're looking for our godfather to help take back our home."

"I also have bells in my laughter." Neo twisted her shirt around her finger.

"You can't be serious," Conner said.

Neo closed her eyes and giggled. Her bells chimed around the room. The pirates gasped.

"You have…that's not possible." Conner looked at Law. "How is that possible?"  
"I have no idea." Law shrugged.

"You don't seem surprised," Conner said.

"Miss Neo told me about this when we were up on the deck a few minutes ago," Law said.

"So you knew?" Archer asked.

"Only for a few minutes." Leaning forward Law laced his fingers together and rested his elbows on the table. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd tell them so soon."

Neo looked at him.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell them?" He smirked.

She flushed. Of course he was talking about the kiss. He clearly found it amusing. Her blood boiled. Looking him directly in the eye, she crossed her arms and said, "No. That's all I have to say right now. _Nothing_ else is important."

"Very well then." Law sat back, his smirk remaining. "Let's eat."

Neo bit back a growl when she noticed the seat next to him was empty. Of course he wanted her to sit there. She was still his prisoner, kiss or no kiss. She marched over to the chair and sat down.

"So, if it's all right to ask, do you use your crystals to move the other elements?" Shachi asked.

"I have different color crystals that represent the elements," Neo said filling her plate. "Green for earth, red for fire, greyish blue for wind, and light blue for water. They crystals vary in shapes and sizes of course."

"So what do these crystals actually do?" Bepo asked.

"Well, they're basically conductors," Neo said. "Our magic is inside of us. We use the crystals to focus the magic through. It's been suggested that our crystals are kind of like leashes."

"Leashes?" Archer asked.

"Our actual beginning is some what shrouded in shadows. Some of our people believe that we would be too strong for the world to handle so we were born with these crystals to help keep ourselves under control," Neo said.

"So you don't have any other weaknesses?" Shachi asked.

"Not that I'm aware of," Neo said. "I mean our magic doesn't last forever. And it's connected to our physical strength. So the longer we use it the weaker we get."

"Magic." Conner huffed. "I find it all nonsense."

"Yet you've seen what they can do," Archer said.

Conner shrugged.

Neo lifted her eyes to Penguin. He was refusing to look at her as he picked at his food. She sighed. They were going to have to talk after dinner. With no other option but to wait, she turned her attention to her own food. Finally, after an hour went by the crew had left the room. She was left to clean things up with Penguin. The water turned on. Penguin was filling the sink. She gathered up some dishes and carrying them over to the counter where she sat them down. "I'm sorry. I know I should have told you sooner. Please don't hate me."

"Neo, I could never hate you." Penguin grabbed her hands. "I'm sorry I made you think that. I can understand why you kept it a secret. Honestly, I don't really know why I reacted the way I did. I was just shocked I guess."

"I'll understand if you are afraid of me now. I'll understand if you think I'm weird." Neo lowered her eyes. Her body tensed when he moved closer. Then his finger appeared under her chin, lifting her gaze back to his. He was smiling.

"I travel the seas with a sadistic captain with doctor like devil fruit powers and a mink polar bear," Penguin said. "I guarantee they are weirder than you'll ever be."

Neo laughed.

"It's amazing. I never thought I'd ever hear someone with actual bells in their laughter." Penguin walked over to the tables.

"Yeah." Neo followed and helped him gather up the rest of the dishes.

"So any other secrets you're keeping from us?" Penguin asked.

"I'm afraid so," Neo said.

"Oh?" Penguin glanced at her.

"I'd like to tell you about them, but I can't. At least not right now," Neo said.

"I understand." Penguin shut the water off.

"But there is something I'd like to talk to you about." Neo bit her bottom lip. Uncertainty of talking to him about the kiss rose inside of her.

"What about?" Penguin asked.

"It's about the captain," Neo said.

"You have another problem with him? Were you two fighting outside when I interrupted?"

"No. I mean, yes. Or we sort of were," Neo said. "He, I think, was actually teasing me. And then I…"

"You what?" Penguin picked up a plate. He dipped it into the steaming water before reaching for the scrub brush.

"I kissed him," Neo blurted out. Heat rushed over her cheeks.

The plate slipped from Penguin's hold. It splashed into the water. He screamed, "You kissed the captain?!"

"Shh!" Neo looked over to the door. No one appeared to have been close enough to hear him. She waited several seconds to make sure no one came in. Silence only greeted her. She turned back to Penguin. He was staring at her, shocked.

"But how…why did…you…him…" He tried to speak but it was impossible.

"Yeah. I know the feeling." Neo rubbed her neck. "It's so far beyond complicated."

"Why? I thought you couldn't stand him," Penguin said.

"So did I," Neo said.

"Well, what lead to the kiss?" Penguin asked.

"I'm not really sure. I thought the captain was being his usual self when we were outside, but now I noticed there was a playful, teasing tone to his words," Neo said. She paused, wondering if she should mention the bond.

"So it was something that just happened?" Penguin asked. "An accident?"

"I don't know." Neo sighed. "How can you just _accidently_ kiss someone? It's not possible. There's no way to do that. Unless I accidently fell and his lips somehow broke my fall. But that's silly. It could never actually happen."

A pause. "You have feelings for him."

More heat rushed to Neo's face.

"Well, um, wow," Penguin said.

"This can't be happening." Neo covered her face with her hands. "I can't be. I can't develop feelings for him." She peaked over at him through her fingers. "Can I? It's stupid, right? I don't have feelings for him. Do I?"

"Not necessarily," Penguin said. "Sometimes a person's feelings towards another just chances over time. They get to know each other and stuff."

"But your captain is a jerk." Neo lowered her hands. "You know what he's done to us. Why… _how_ could any girl fall for a guy who's done that?!"

"Well, there must be something you see in the captain," Penguin said. "Something that you find attractive."

"His chest is pretty attractive," Neo said before she could stop herself.

"His chest?" Penguin crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "With or without his shirt?

"Without," Neo mumbled. "I might have saw it after the attack." She lowered her eyes and fiddled with her fingers. "He took his hoodie off to take care of his arm. He thought everyone had left the room."

"I see." Penguin smiled. "So that's when it started."

"No," Neo murmured. "I might have had a thought about him sometime before that."

"What was that?"

"I had a thought about him."

"One more time. Loud enough so I can actually hear you."

"I imagined him naked in his tub!" Neo shouted. Her hands shot to her mouth. Her cheeks flared up. If it was possible to have the earth opened up and swallow her she would have made it happened.

Penguin busted up laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Neo snapped.

"You! You're so cute! And so innocent!" Penguin wrapped his arms around his body.

Neo growled, stomping her foot on the floor. "Stop laughing!"

"Okay, okay." Penguin straightened up but his smile remained. "But it's true. Your innocence about this subject is so cute."

Neo pouted. "You going to help me or tease me?"

"Well, I'm not sure what I can do for you," Penguin said.

"I just want to know if I'm really getting feelings for the captain or if I'm just…"

"Physically attracted to him?" Penguin added.

Neo nodded.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that right now," Penguin said.

Neo's shoulders slumped.

"Only you can really know the answer to that," Penguin said.

"But how?" Neo asked.

"You're not familiar with this sort of thing?"

"No." Neo shook her head. "Back home guys weren't really into me. I mean I'm different because of my crystals. I guess you could say most of the guys were intimidated by me while others would only want to use me for my status."

"I see." Penguin started washing the dishes. "I take it you never really had a connection to anyone before? A romantic one, I mean."

"No." Neo took the washed plate and dried it off. "And with Kailen being as protective as he is…"

"I get it. Big brother also caused intimidation," Penguin said.

"Yeah."

"This is complicated," Penguin said. "Like I said, I can't really answer how your feelings are going to be towards the captain. It's a good thing that you two are getting closer since we'll have more peace on the sub. But only time will tell if your feelings are just infatuation or more."

"Do you think it's possible I might fall in…?" Neo stopped herself. She didn't want to say it out loud. "Even if we're only here temporarily?"

"It's absolutely possible," Penguin said.

"Just great," Neo grumbled.

"Look, don't worry about it right now," Penguin said. "For all we know you're just infatuated with the captain. Believe me. I've seen plenty of women claimed they were in love with him. And they weren't. They were only attracted to his good looks or his infamy."

"It seems life is more complicated than I realized," Neo said.

"Sounds like you've lived a sheltered life," Penguin said.

"Well, I have," Neo said. "Our parents were very protective of me, as was Kailen, Godfather, and his crew. This is, after all, the first time I've been away from our home. And it's been quite the experience."

"I hope some of that has been good," Penguin said.

"Of course." She smiled at him. "No matter how it actually happened, I'm glad we got to meet you and the crew."

"And the captain?" Penguin probed.

"Well, I guess I like that we've met him too," Neo said. "He did save my life."

Penguin smiled.

"But that's it," Neo said.

"If you say so," Penguin said. "You know, the best way to figure out your feelings is to talk to him."

"Absolutely not!" Neo said. "There's no way I'm telling him anything about this!"

"But you'll have to talk about the kiss at some point," Penguin said.

"Not happening!"

"The sub's big but not that big," Penguin pointed out. "It's inevitable that you'll run into him."

Neo growled. The man was right. She still had to use his bathroom, there were health checkups, getting permission to go somewhere with the crew, meal times, passing in the halls, and so many other times they were going to cross paths. Avoiding him constantly wasn't going to be possible. They were going to have to talk about it at some point. "I'll think of something. Just promise not to tell anyone about the incident."

"I wont." Penguin drew and X over his heart with his finger. "I promise."

"Thanks, Penguin," Neo said. "I'm glad I could talk to you about this."

"I am too," Penguin said. "You going to tell Kailen about it?"  
"At some point I will. Right now isn't the time," Neo said.

"Well, if another _incident_ happens you can come talk to me about it," Penguin said.

"You're the best." Neo smiled.

…

Neo stared out at the island they were approaching. Many flags from the ships at the harbor flowed in the salty breeze. The majority of them were pirate flags. Nothing new there. Pirates had become almost a daily sight for her in her new life on the sea, excluding the ones she was sailing with. In the past six weeks they had been attacked by a total of seven pirate crews, dealt with three severe storms, four sea kings, and a lost ship of starving civilians who were overly grateful for the food the elementals had given them. It seemed the only thing that didn't happen in those weeks were her and the captain talking about the kiss. In fact it seemed like he was pretending it didn't even happen. Well, most of the time it felt that way. Sometimes she would catch him staring at her with a smirk on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. It only made her more confused about her own feelings for him. Part of her was upset that he didn't bring up the kiss. But the other part of her knew it was for the best. If he didn't bring it up then it would be almost like it didn't happen. They could move on and forget about it.

"Finally." Penguin came up beside her. Crossing his arms over the railing he joined her in watching the island come closer. "It's been so long since we've docked at an island. We're lucky we haven't ran out of food."

"That will never happen with us here," Neo said.

Penguin nodded.

Neo and Kailen had made sure they had enough vegetables and fruits to eat. The crew had managed to catch enough fish to satisfy their meat cravings. Still it would be good to finally restock on supplies. She knew they were low on a lot of stuff. The most important was medical supplies. Kailen did his best to keep them supplied with herbs that would help with wounds. It was something the captain had become fascinated with. So much so the two had started spending a lot of time studying together. Something that got on her nerves. In fact, the two were currently studying in the rec. room. That was the main reason she was outside. They had come in there a couple hours ago. She was reading, but excused herself when it was obvious they were having a lot of fun together.

"Still feeling a bit jealous about the captain and Kailen?" Penguin asked.

"I really need to learn how to stop being so easy to read," Neo grumbled.

"It's normal to feel that way," Penguin said. "You're use to having your brother to yourself."

"Not that much," Neo said. "He had a job and was interested in a woman back home."

"Still, he's your brother," Penguin said.

"True." Neo sighed. "I'm not use to seeing him having so much fun with someone else. But it's good. I'm glad that he's getting along so well with the captain since they have the medical field in common. It's helping him keep busy."

"At least you have the rest of us," Penguin said. "You still going shopping with me?"

"Of course. I love spending time with you." Neo slipped her arm around his. Ten minutes later the sub pulled into the bustling harbor.

"Yes!" Archer screamed out.

Neo and Penguin turned in time to see the man run out of the sub.

"This is great!" Archer threw his hands into the air.

"I don't think I've ever seen him so excited," Neo said.

"He's still glad to have his cast off," Penguin said. "He was so bored having to sit around while the rest of us had all the fun."

Neo chuckled. Archer did get bored in the last week he had to wear the cast. At one point she started thinking he was turning into Conner with how moody and pessimistic he had become. Then the cast came off. Archer was back to his normal self. And this was the first time they had stopped at an island since the cast was removed a few days ago.

"I'm so ready for this! I hope we get to fight!" Archer bounced around, looking the island over. "I want to fight!"

"Geez. You're so annoying." Conner passed his friend. Opening the railing, he descended down to the island.

Archer was the next to leave the sub. He all but jumped down the ladder. And the second his boots hit the dock he ran off into the town.

"He's so full of energy," Neo said as the man disappeared into the crowd.

"Good thing we're taking a few days off here," Shachi said walking over to them. "Maybe he'll use up that energy before we leave."

Neo turned and leaned back against the railing. Kailen and the captain walked out of the sub. They were talking, barely aware of where they were. Ignoring them, she asked, "So what are we going to do first? Get the food?"

"We won't get that until we're ready to leave," Penguin said. "It'll be fresher that way. We can do whatever we want until then. We're staying for four days."

"I hope there're a lot of pretty women here." Shachi scanned the town, a drop of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.

Neo rolled her eyes. Women were always on his mind. A whap came to the back of her head. Turning, she found Kailen smiling at her. "What?"

"Don't get into trouble now," he said.

Neo puffed out her cheeks. "I never get into trouble."

Law scoffed.

Turning her eyes to him, she found he was smiling as well. With a huff she marched to the ladder.

"One moment, Miss Neo," Law said.

Neo flinched.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Like what?" Neo turned back to him.

"Like asking for permission to leave the sub?" A spark flashed in his eyes.

"Fine." Neo put on a sweet smile, batting her eyelashes. "If it would be all right with you, _dear sweet Captain_ , I would like _permission,_ if it pleases you, to go off the sub with Penguin."

Kailen and Penguin snickered.

Law lifted his sword and bopped her on the head. "Keep up that kind of sarcasm and I'll never let you off the sub again."

"Well, what do you expect?" Neo crossed her arms. "How long do I have to ask your permission to do what everyone else does freely?"

"When you can prove you can stay out of trouble," Law said.

Neo bristled, but quickly released her frustration. "Fine. Can we go now? We'd like to look around."

"It's fine." Law nodded. He looked to Penguin then. "Keep a close eye on her."

"Aye, Captain," Penguin said.

Neo climbed down. Penguin followed her. "Geez. I'm more guarded here than I was on Luminous."

"Luminous?" Penguin asked as he joined her on the dock.

"Oh, that's our home island's name," Neo said. "I guess we never mentioned it before."

"So what's it like?" They headed for the town.

"Well, like any other island, I guess." Neo glanced around at the other people at the harbor. Leaning closer to Penguin, she added, "With a very special exceptions." She stood straight and raised her voice. "It's pretty much covered by trees. We have a lot of bushes and flowers too. Plenty of animals."

"What about the people? What are they like?"  
"They're nice. More so than humans."

"How so?"

"Well, my people are more pure than humans. We don't fight much against each other. And we've never had a war before."

"You never had a war?" Penguin paused.

Neo walked a few more feet before turning back to him. "Yeah. I know it might sound weird, but that's just who we are."

"I'd really like to see this place." Penguin started walking again.

"That might be a bit tricky." Neo twisted a strain of her hair.

"They won't welcome us?" Penguin asked.

"Well, no, not really," Neo said. "They're pretty open to people who do come to the island. In fact, Godfather and the crew came there because of a storm. They were in the middle of a fight when this severe storm blew up. The storm threw their ship around and they landed on Luminous by accident. It's not an easy island to find. And there are our crystals to think about."

"So it doesn't have a log pose?"

"Apparently not." Neo looked up at the sky. Lazy clouds floated over their heads, peppering the bright blue sky. "Godfather never uses one to get there."

"So how does he get there then?" They stepped into the town. The loud harbor gave way to the chatter of shoppers and vendors.

"Some of my people sail with him. I guess you could say our instincts guide us home. So they led him there when they're with him. And he had his navigator make a map to the place. But since then he and the older crewmates have developed their own instincts on where to go to get there. So he had the map destroyed so no one else would find us."

"He really is protective of you all."

"Yeah." Neo smiled. "He is." Several of the other crewmembers rushed by them. "They're in a hurry."

"Yeah." Penguin shrugged.

Neo glanced at him, expecting more from him. But that was all he said. Only an unexplainable smile was spread across his lips. "Is something going on?"  
"Of course not." He tilted his head towards her. "Why do you ask?"

Neo hummed. "No reason I guess. So what should we do first?"

"I'm not sure." Penguin looked around at all the stores. "They seem to have a lot of shops here."

"A bookstore!" Neo gasped when her eyes landed on the wooden sign above the door. Without waiting for his reply she dashed towards the building. Dashing up the two steps she grabbed the door handle and jerked it open. Entering she breathed in the familiar smell of books, ignoring the odd looks she gotten from others, before running down an isle. Book after book, title after title flew in front of her eyes before she found one that really caught her eye. Grabbing the book she opened it and devoured the words with her eyes.

"Find something that interesting?" Penguin asked, breaking into her world of words.

"Yes! This book is about a dolphin going on a journey to find a magical kingdom in a hidden under sea cave!" Neo's eyes ran over the page. "It's amazing! I wish I could get it!"

"Don't you have enough money?"

"I might." Neo closed the book. "But there might be something else that I _need_ to buy." Reluctantly, she pushed the book back into its slot. "I still don't have clothes that would be wearable on winter islands yet. Those _need_ to come first."

"Oh," Penguin drawled. "Well, let's go see what we can find. If you're lucky maybe we can find a sale."

"That would be nice," Neo said. "But this island is warm. Obviously their in summer time. They might not have any winter clothes. If they even have winter here."

"Then we better go look." Penguin slipped his arm around hers and pulled her towards the door.

Neo pouted as the bookstore shrank before her eyes before they rounded a corner. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

"Not a fan of shopping?" Penguin asked.

"I guess so," Neo said thinking about how a lot of her clothes were hand made for her and only her. There weren't many times when she actually went shopping on Luminous.

One by one they looked into the stores until they found one that had some warmer clothes and on sale. Neo's preference was to look over the clothes as quickly as possible so she could see if she had any money left to buy her book. Penguin, however, had other plans. Two minutes hadn't past before he started picking clothes off the racks and shelves, holding them up to her and saying how cute she would be in them. Rolling her eyes, she said, "You're so goofy."

"I can't help to." Penguin smiled. "I guess somewhere deep inside of me I always wanted a little sister. Someone to take care of and all."

"Really?"

Penguin shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Well, in any case, I could use your advice on what to get," Neo admitted. "Snow isn't a common occurrence on Luminous. So I'm not sure what to get."

"You should get something for freezing cold temperatures and for warmer temperatures," Penguin said. His attention turned back to the clothes.

Neo followed along closely, taking his advice to heart before deciding which clothes she should pick up. She ended up with an off white puffy coat, a pair of fuzzy boots, a couple pairs of thick socks, and pants suitable for winter. After paying for her clothes, she and Penguin took them back to the sub. Dropping them off just inside of the door, they headed back into town.

"Want to go back to the bookstore? You have enough to get the book," Penguin said.

"In a little while. I'd like to go check that place out." Neo pointed to a jewelry store. "Or would you prefer not to?"

"I don't mind," Penguin said. "I like looking around at artistic stuff. You never know what you might find."

"You interested in the arts?" Neo asked as they walked towards the building.

"A little bit," Penguin said. "Some of the art that's been made is so amazing. I'm not a collector of the stuff or anything. I just like looking. There are some very skillful people in the world."

Neo nodded. Images of the paintings and crystal sculptures back on Luminous came into her mind. "Yeah. It would be great to see what other people have done."

"Then this should be a real treat for you," Penguin said. A bell jingled upon him opening the door for her.

Neo stepped inside. A wave of tiredness washed over her. Her legs trembled, forcing her to slump against the wall.

"Neo, what's wrong?" Penguin stepped beside her.

The tiredness vanished. "I don't know. I just suddenly got tired."

"Do you need to sit down?" Penguin asked, his face twisted with concern.

"No. It's gone now." Neo straightened up.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." Neo nodded. When his worried face didn't change, she cupped his cheek. "Really, Penguin. I'm fine."

"Okay." Penguin turned his attention to the room. A few people were peppered around the building, looking at the displays.

With the tiredness gone, Neo noticed the room was full of all kinds of jewelry. Necklaces hung from hooks, earrings were lined up in display boxes, shimmering in the light above them. Bracelets were carved with elaborate designs or gems embedded in there thin cuffs or rings. Then her eye caught a sculpture of a dolphin arching out of a light blue crystal wave. She leaned closer to it. "Wow. It's so beautiful. I thought this was just a jewelry store."

"It use to be," a man said.

"What do you mean?" Penguin asked.

Neo looked up at the man. Her eyes drew to his hands. They were aged by several years of work. They matched the wrinkles on his face.

"This store has been in my family for about fifteen generations," he said. "For years my family worked with jewelry. It wasn't until I married did my wife bring sculptures like this into the merchandise. She's in the back at the moment."

"Well, she clearly has some amazing talents. I'm impressed," Neo said.

"Oh, you better not be trying to put me on a pedestal again," a woman said crossed the room.

Tiredness settled into Neo's body. Placing her hand on the counter, she steadied herself. With her blurring vision she watched a short woman with white curly hair walk over to them.

"It's true, dear. You have some wonderful talents," the man said.

Neo placed her free hand on her face. Her body screamed for sleep as her knees buckled under her. She heard Penguin's frantic voice calling her name through the haze dancing around her head. Her eyes landed on the green gem embedded in the woman's necklace. A halo of green fog was surrounding it. Her eyelids fell closed.

…

Law leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out with his ankles crossed. The room was thick with booze and laughter from drunk men, a few his own crewmembers. Scanning the room he found her again. Like she had been for the second he walked into the door, the long black haired woman was staring at him again. A few other women were with her, but they didn't care about him at all. Only she kept looking in his direction. And she wasn't trying to hide it at all. The looks had long become annoying. He wished she would come over already so he could reject her and get it over with. The only thing he came in here for was a relaxing beer. Then he was heading out to find the bookstore to see if anything new in the medical field had come out yet.

Finally, after fifteen minutes, the woman slid off her stool and walked over to him, putting extra sway in her hips. She sat down with a smile. "Hello."

Law grunted.

"I couldn't help but notice you were all alone over here." She smiled.

"There's a reason for that," Law said. His eyes dipped low when she leaned forward to reveal more of her cleavage. A low sigh escaped his lips.

She giggled. "I'm Rosa. I'd ask for yours but I've seen you in the newspaper before. I find pirates rather attractive, Trafalgar Law."

"You don't say." Law smirked.

"I'd like to get to know you a little better." Rosa stretched out her leg, brushing it across his knee. "How about you buy me a drink?"  
Law parted his lips to answer. Before he could utter a single word, Penguin's frantic voice rang out over the merriment.

"Captain! Captain!"

Law glanced over to the door. His eyebrows drew together to find Neo passed out in his arms. "What did she do now?"

"She who?" Rosa followed Law's gaze, ultimately falling upon Neo. "Who's _she_?"

Ignoring her, Law stood up, grabbed his sword, and walked over to his subordinate. "Penguin."

"Captain! I'm so glad I found you!" Relief rushed over his face. "Something's wrong with Neo! She just passed out on me! I didn't know what to do!"

"It's fine." Law pressed his hand to her forehead to check for a fever. Her skin was cool. "Let's get her back to the sub."

"Right! Yes!" Penguin rushed back out the door.

Law followed, asking questions as they went. "What happened?"  
"I don't know," Penguin said. "She just passed out. We were looking around a jewelry store about two blocks west of here. She was fine, admiring a dolphin statue. Then she just suddenly collapsed. I'm so glad I found you so quickly!"

"Did she show any other symptoms?" Law asked.

"No. That was it. She got tired and went down. Well, she did feel tired when we first went into the building," Penguin said. "But nothing else happened. She was fine. It was like any other day."

Reaching the sub, Law held out his hand. "Room. Shambles." The harbor disappeared, giving way to the medical bay. "Lay her down."

Penguin laid her down on the operating table.

Law propped his sword against the sink, grabbed needed medical tools, and set to check Neo's vital signs.

"What's wrong with her, Captain?" Penguin asked after a few minutes of restrained silence.

"I don't know," Law said. "Everything's normal. Her heart and lungs sound good. Her pulse is good. She's breathing normally."

Neo shifted.

"She's waking up," Penguin said.

Neo's eyes opened. "What…?" She looked around. "Where am I?"

"Neo, we're back on the sub." Penguin took her hand in his. "You passed out while in the jewelry shop."

"I did?" Neo's eyebrows knitted.

"Have you had past experiences with passing out?" Law asked.

"If I had I would have told you during my first check up here." Neo sat up.

"Hey! Take it easy! You shouldn't get up!" Penguin said.

"I'm fine," Neo insisted.

"You said that before and passed out on me." Penguin frowned. "Do you have any idea how scared I was when you collapsed?"

Neo turned to him and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. It just happened."

"What exactly did happen?" Law asked pulling a small light off his tray.

"Nothing really. I just got tired and everything went dark." When Neo glanced at the captain he shown the light into her eyes. "The only thing out of the ordinary was a glowing green gem."

"Glowing green gem?" Law cocked an eyebrow.

"I think so. I saw it before I blacked out. It was on the shop owner's wife's necklace." Neo tapped her chest where the gem would have lain.

Law rubbed his chin. Gems didn't typically glow. "You must have been seeing things."

"I wasn't seeing things." Neo frowned.

"Crystals don't glow," Law said.

A green crystal appeared beside Neo. She smirked.

"With the exception of you and your people," Law said. "Was she one of them?"  
"No," Neo said. "But it _was_ glowing. I know I wasn't dreaming."

"Then you were hallucinating." Law gave her a challenging smile when she frowned.

Neo opened her mouth to reply.

"Okay," Penguin said before a fight could break out. "How about Neo stays here and we go check the store out again?"

"I don't need to stay here," Neo said.

"Yes. You do," Law said.

"I do _not_!" Neo glared.

"People don't pass out for no reason, Miss Neo," Law said. "I'm going to monitor you for a while to see if anything comes up."

"That isn't necessary."

"Captain's orders." Law waited for her to object. She didn't. "Good. Now lets get you into a room so I can hook you up to the heart monitor."

"Fine." Neo slid off the table and followed him out of the room.

Law led her into one of the recovery rooms. While she crawled up on the bed, she pulled the heart monitor over to her. With the patches in hand he reached below the neckline of her shirt, placing the patches on her chest. Her body tensed when his fingers brushed across her chest. Sneaking a glance at her he found her cheeks red. "There. Do not move from this room."

"Whatever." Neo crossed her arms. "I'm telling you this is unnecessary."

Law turned on the machine. Beeps of her heartbeat filled the room.

"Come on, Neo," Penguin said. "It's better to be safe than sorry."

"I know." Neo sighed. "I promise I won't go anywhere. But I'm going to get really bored in here. Would you bring me up some books?"  
"Sure thing." Penguin nodded.

"After that go find Kailen," Law said. "He'll want to know about this. He headed off with Conner towards the clothing shops."

"Aye, Captain." Penguin headed out of the room.

"What are you going to do?" Neo asked.

"I'm going to go to the jewelry store to look at this supposed glowing gem." Law headed for the door.

"Oh? And how are you going to do that? Tell her that her necklace caused this? There's no proof," Neo said.

"I never said that it did cause this. But there's no harm in checking things out. There might be some form of material you're allergic to in there," Law said.

"You're not going to be able to find it that quick. And what difference does it make? It's not like we're moving to this place," Neo said.

"I'm still going." Law disappeared out the door. Neo was right. He had no proof and wouldn't have any without extensive tests. Still, he wanted to go look around for future references. Its possible humans might have materials that aren't used on her home island. She could have just had some allergic reaction to it. Though he's never hear of an allergic reaction causing someone to fall asleep.

Back outside he made his way back to the bar then headed two blocks west like Penguin had said. The store came into view. Without hesitation he went inside. Some people paused and looked at him, obviously nervous because he was a pirate. He paid them no mind as he looked around. The dolphin came into view. He paused to take it in, wondering why something like this would have drawn Neo's attention before the woman came into view. She was talking with another customer but her necklace was in plan view. And it wasn't glowing. Wanting a closer look, he spread out his Room and warped the item to his hand. With his back towards everyone, he examined the green gem. It looked as normal as any other gem he had ever seem, with the expectation of Neo and Kailen's crystals of course.

A scream erupted in the building. "It's gone! My necklace is gone!"

"What? It was just here."

"That pirate must have taken it!"

"Someone call the navy!"

Law warped the necklace back onto the woman and left the building.

"Hold on. Your necklace is right there. You're still wearing it."

"But how did…?"

Law smirked, the door closing behind him.

 **Bluu6293: Thanks. Glad to hear you like it so much and that you think I've improved. I can't really see it myself but it's good to hear some say I have. :)**


	20. Birthday & Slight Admission

Birthday & Slight Admission

Neo closed her book with a thump and slumped down in her pillows. The sub was quiet. Far too quiet as she had come use to the loud noises of the crew. During the first few hours that she had been locked up in this place, several of the crew had come to see how she was doing. While they were all glad she was okay she couldn't help but notice there was an extra lining of excitement to their joy. "What are they up to?"

"Who?"

Neo glanced to the door to find Kailen walking in. "The crew. They're up to something. I just don't know what. Have you noticed them doing something, anything, strange outside of the sub?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Kailen said down on the bed.

Neo hummed. Crossing her arms she drummed her fingers on her elbow.

"So how are you feeling now?" Kailen asked.

"Just the same as you asked me an hour ago," Neo said.

"Sorry." Kailen smiled. "I'm just worried something like this happened. I even went over to the jewelry store."

"Why would you do that?" Neo asked.

"To see if whatever drained your strength would drain me," Kailen said. "Nothing happened though. Hopefully it was just a strange episode that will never happen again."

"I hope so," Neo said. "I'm so bored sitting around here doing nothing while everyone else is out on the island. Anything of interest happening out there?"

"Nope. Just another normal island," Kailen said.

"I don't suppose you found out any information about Shanks?"

Kailen shook his head.

Neo sighed, slumping more into her pillows.

"We'll find him." Kailen pat her leg.

"Not quick enough," Neo grumbled.

"I don't think you're in that big of a hurry to find him," Kailen said.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You'll miss the crew." A pause then he added, "And the captain."

"What?!" Neo choked. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

"I thought so." Kailen chuckled.

"You thought what?!" Neo demanded.

"That you are either in the process of developing feelings for him or you already have feelings for him," Kailen said.

"How did you…?" The heat rushed over her face.

"Little sister, I've known you your entire life." Kailen grinned. "It would have been impossible for me to noticed you are acting differently. And I know it had something to do with the conversation you had with the captain a few weeks ago."

Neo lowered her eyes to her legs. She picked at her pant leg. The kiss flashed through her mind. Her heart skittered. Her stomach flipped.

"Well, this does complicate things," Kailen said.

"No, it doesn't," Neo said. "We're still going to find Godfather. And we're still going to go back to Luminous."

"You won't be happy with that," Kailen said.

"Does that matter? This isn't about me. It's about our people. I have no choice but to go back to Luminous to free them." Neo glanced over at the porthole. The sky was painted in a beautiful hue of oranges and reds. Nighttime was coming. That meant the crew, or some of them, would be finding some women to spend the night with. And that meant she wouldn't be seeing them again until the following day, or a couple days later.

"You know they'll probably want to come with us," Kailen said.

"They won't. They're pirates. They're not going to follow us home. Once we're off their sub they'll continue on. Most likely to the New World," Neo said. "Then we'll be nothing but a memory for them."

"Now that I know you don't believe," Kailen said. "The crew means too much to you. And they have come to care for us as well. I don't see them letting us go so easily, especially you."

"Don't say that," Neo whispered. "They don't even know that I'm a roy-"

A knock on the door cut her off. They both looked up just as Law walked into the room.

"Something wrong, Captain?" Kailen asked.

"No. I was just coming to check on Neo again," Law said.

"You going to let me out of here?" Neo asked. "It's been hours. The sun's going down."

"Let me check your vitals again," Law said.

Neo's jaw slacked in surprise. She wasn't expecting that.

"But you're staying with me while off the sub." Law smirked.

"I should have know it was too good to be true," Neo grumbled.

"Sit up straight," Law ordered.

With a low growl, she obeyed. Sitting quietly, she waited for Law to check her pulse, her heart, her lungs, and her eyes.

"Everything seems normal," Law said.

Neo nodded, not feeling like bring up the fact she knew that already. "So can I go back outside now? Or can _we_ go back outside now?"

"I don't see any reason not to," Law said.

"Yes!" Neo jumped off the bed.

"But if you feel any signs of being tired you better tell me," Law said.

"Okay, okay." Neo jogged in place. "Let's go!"

"You going to put your shoes back on?" Law dropped his eyes to her feet.

"Um." Neo followed his gaze. "No. I don't feel like wearing them right now."

"Then you better not step on any glass," Law said.

"I won't." She smirked. "Then it wouldn't matter since I have you to take care of me."

"Don't push you luck. Going barefooted and stepping on glass would be your fault. I won't take care of you." Law turned and headed out the door.

"Yeah, right." Neo followed.

Kailen sighed with a shake of his head and followed them.

Once on the main floor, she ran passed Law and out onto the deck. The air had cooled greatly since this afternoon. It felt great on her skin. "It feels so good out here."

"Come on," Law called. "We're going to be late."

"Late for what?" Neo watched as Law disappeared down the ladder. She glanced over at Kailen. He was smiling. He gave her a shrug before climbing down the ladder. "Something is definitely up."

For a moment she wondered if she should turn and go back inside of the sub. But she was really tired of being cooped up inside. So she climbed down the ladder. Kailen and Law were still waiting for her. When she had joined them, they headed into the town. A lot of the people had already gone home. Though there were still several people out and about. Her shoulders slumped when the captain led them to a tavern. "You can't be serious. You know we don't drink."

"Good. You're not here to drink anyway." Law, using the end of his sword, pushed her towards the door. "Inside. Now."

Neo glared at him. With a snarl she headed inside. "Surprise!" She jumped when the crew shouted at her. "Happy Birthday, Neo!"

Frozen in confusion, Neo looked at the crew gathered together in a corner of the tavern. A hand painted banner was nailed to the wall, a cake, and presents were piled on a table. She glance around the room, noticing some weren't too happy with the noise, before bring her eyes back to the crew. "What's going on?"

"Little sister, I have never known you once to forget your own birthday," Kailen said.

"It's my birthday?" Realization lit in her head. "Oh! It is! How…how could I have forgotten that?!"

Kailen pressed a kiss to her temple. "My baby sister is all grown up. Happy Birthday."

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Neo looked at her brother then over to the captain. "You both knew."

"We did," Kailen said pushing her to the corner of the room. "The crew wanted to do this for you."

"Were you surprised, Neo?" Bepo asked.

"Yes. I wasn't expecting it at all. I mean, I knew you guys were acting differently today," Neo said.

"Apparently it's hard for this crew to keep a secret," Shachi said. "I thought for sure you would have noticed what we were up to."

"We were going to have it outside, but we heard they're expecting rain," Penguin said. He hugged Neo. "Happy Birthday, girl."

"Thanks." Neo hugged him then passed out hugs to the rest of the crew. She sat down when Penguin pulled out a chair for her. One of the crew grabbed a present and handed it to her.

…

Law stayed back and watched. When the crew had asked him about doing this he really wanted to say no. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. And he wasn't sure while. At least, it wasn't until one of his subordinates mentioned that Neo has been having such a hard time that they wanted to do something nice for her. So he agreed. He played his part by keeping her inside the sub while the crew set this all up. Though he knew the chances of her finding out about this was slim, he still did his part. He even bought her a gift. But he wasn't sure when he would give it to her.

"You know, I can't believe you actually went through with this. It's not your thing. We all know that. So why did you agree?" Conner stepped closer to Law. He crossed his arms. "Don't tell me your starting to have feelings for her."

Law frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm a doctor. I'm only doing what I should do with a patient."

"Captain." Conner tapped his finger on his arm. "It's obvious that something is going on between you two. And I know I'm not the only one who's seeing it."

Law glanced at his subordinate.

"We're not sure what happened between you two but whatever it was changed your relationship," Conner said.

Law thought about that time on the deck. Her kiss remained fresh in his mind. Despite that had he really been that loose with his emotions that his crew had started taking notice? He could usually school his emotions better than that. "The only thing that we have and ever will have in common is the murder of our parents. I assure you there is nothing going on between Miss Neo and myself."

Conner exhaled. "If you say so."

Movement caught Law's eyes. Turning away from the crew he scanned the room, gripping his sword. No one looked to be ready to attack. So he relaxed. Then his eyes landed on a tall curvy bodied, curly blonde haired woman sitting at the bar. She was watching him, studying him. Her eyes then drifted to Neo. A frown pulled across her lips before she smiled, her eyes turning back to him. He turned away before he could meet her eyes.

Neo was currently opening Penguin's present. Her eyes lit up upon seeing what was underneath the wrapping. "Penguin! You bought be that book I really wanted!"

"Yeah-Oof." Penguin bent backwards when she threw herself into his arms.

"You're the best! You all are!" Neo said before giving them all hugs again.

Law found it no surprise that she was so excited. Almost everyone in the crew had bought her a book. It was easy for them all to tell she wanted to sit down and read the books; she was practically drooling over them. But she didn't. She kept her attention on the party.

"Why don't you cut the cake now?" Bepo handed her the knife.

"Sure. It looks great," Neo said. She took the knife and pushed the blade through the cake. Placing it on a plate she cut more off until everyone had a plate. Well, almost everyone. Law twitched when she looked at him. "Stop standing over there like a gloomy gus and join us." She held up a plate of cake. "You know you want to."

Law scowled. There was a part of him that didn't want to go over there. But he did. His body refused to listen to his mind. Sitting down he took the plate from her. "Thanks."

Neo smiled, sending an unfamiliar flutter through his heart.

Law let his hat drop over his eyes. His mind danced around his own present. He had left it back on the sub. It was something he picked up on a whim. Something he just didn't do. Still, he had bought it and he was going to give it to her.

…

Neo hummed as she chewed on her last bite of cake. The cake was so moist. The icing was just right. She could taste both the cake and the ice equally. Sitting her fork down she licked the remaining icing off her lips. "That was so good! I absolutely loved it!"

"I'm glad. I was worried the cake would come out too dry," Penguin said.

"Well, it didn't," Neo said. "You really are a great cook."

"Thanks." Penguin flushed. "But I'm no where near as good as you are."

"You flatter me." Neo smiled. She stood up.

"Where you going?" Archer asked.

"Excuse me. But I need to use the ladies room." Neo stepped away from them, unaware of a blonde woman that was keeping an eye on her. After taking care of business, she stepped out of the stall to find a blonde haired woman checking her makeup in the mirror. Something about the woman made her pause. Then it hit her. She had seen this woman in the tavern with them. The woman was sitting by the bar when they stepped inside. Shoving it aside, she stepped up to the sink and turned the water on.

"You seem to be having fun with those pirates," the woman said.

"Uh, yeah." Neo nodded.

"They're quite the attractive crew."

Neo glanced at the woman. She was running red lipstick over her lips.

The woman pressed her lips together and put away her lipstick. She then turned to Neo. "I couldn't help but notice that you were the only female among them. I also noticed that you plus two of the men weren't wearing those suits. Are you married to one of them?"

"No," Neo said. "I'm not. We're, my brother and I, are just traveling with them." She paused. "I take it you know who they are?"  
"I do." She nodded. "They're the Heart Pirates. Their captain is Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death."

Neo turned the water off, drying her hands on her jeans. She tried to leave but the woman stepped in her way. "Excuse me. They'll be waiting for me."

"There's no need to rush back to them." She smiled and held out her hand. "You must be tired of spending so much time with guys. My name is Lena."

Neo hesitated but found herself taking the woman's hand. "Neo."

"Neo? That's a name I've never heard before," Lena said.

"Yeah." Neo shrugged. "I'm one of a kind."

"Well, I live on this island," Lena said. "So if you want to spend some time with me and my girl friends we'd be more than glad to have you. We going on a shopping trip tomorrow."

"That's nice. But I'm afraid I can't," Neo said.

"Why? Are you leaving tomorrow?" Lena asked.

"No. We're staying here a few days," Neo said.

"Wonderful!" Lena clapped her hands together. "To be honest, I just love pirates."

"Really?" Neo eyed the woman's black dress, her curves, and her long nails. She had a hard time believing this woman cared about pirates. But then what did she know about humans? They could have some odd hobbies. "I never would have guessed."

"It's true. And to be honest, I really like Captain Law." Lena's cheeks tinted pink.

Or maybe it was just her blush. Neo couldn't recall if the woman was wearing any or not. "You like the captain?"

"Oh dear." Lena pressed her fingers to her lips. "Should I have not said that? Are you and him-"

"No!" Neo shook her head. "Oh no! Absolutely not! I have no interest in him at all!"

"So you have absolutely no involvement with the captain?" Lena asked. "None what so ever?"

"Absolutely none," Neo said. "I assure you that my brother and I are only temporarily sailing with him and his crew. The captain and I really aren't even friends."

"That's good. I thought I might have been treading in waters I shouldn't have entered." Lena smiled. "So you wouldn't mind if I spend some time with him while you're here?"

Neo thought about that for a moment. She found no reason for this woman to not spend time with the captain. And when the kiss came back to mind she stomped it back down, telling herself it was a kiss done on impulse nothing more. "The captain can do whatever he wants. He's an adult."

"Wonderful!" Lena clapped her hands again. "I would love to get to meet him tonight! Would you introduce me?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Neo said. "They're celebrating my birthday right now."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Lena linked her arm around Neo's.

Neo tried to pull away from her, but the woman pulled her out of the bathroom. The crew's laughter was cut short when they noticed the stranger with their friend.

"Neo?" Penguin stood up. "Who's your friend?"  
"Her name is Lena," Neo said. "She's claimed she's a fan of pirates."

"And this sweet little girl was nice enough to invite me over to say hi." Lena's eyes fell upon Law. "It's a pleasure to meet you. As Neo already said, my name is Lena."

"Hey! I'm Shachi."

"Penguin."

"Bepo."

"I'm Archer."

Neo sighed as the pirates continued to name themselves. Finally they all said their names, but for Law. She glanced over at the captain. His eyes were on Lena, inspecting her with more interest than she wanted to see. Her heart twitched. She looked away and sat down. Mentally she reminded herself what she told Lena in the bathroom. The captain could do what he wanted.

"So that would make you Law," Lena said. "The captain of the Heart Pirates."

Neo watched as Lena pulled over a chair and sat down as close to Law as she could.

"Yes," Law said.

"You know, Law." Lena reached out and traced the brim of his hat. "I just love spots. They look really good on you."

"You don't say." Law smirked.

"Absolutely." Lena fluttered her eyelashes.

Neo flittered a glance at Law and Lena before dropping her eyes to her books. With nothing else to do she picked one up and started flipping through it while trying to ignore the looks the crew was giving her. She tried to ignore the two flirting with each other. It wasn't working. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them her eyes wanted to glance over. Lena had moved her chair closer to the captain's. The woman's finger had fell from his hat to his chest, she circled the smiley over his chest. Heat flared in her chest. Her eyes zeroed in on Lena's finger. A crystal formed, hovering above her lap. Her eyes dropped to it. She could easily get rid of Lena. She could easily scare her away from the captain. Her hand grasped her crystal. There was no way she was going to fight a woman over a man she was never going to see again.

"Neo?" Penguin said.

Her crystal vanished. She looked up at Penguin. He and Kailen were staring at her. The rest of the crew was talking among themselves, some eyeing Lena with curiosity.

"You okay?" Penguin asked.

"I'm fine. Just tired." Neo pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I think I'm going to go back to the sub."

"You feel like blacking out again?"

Neo drew her eyes towards the captain. His eyes were scanning her for signs of…well, she wasn't sure. She shook her head. "No. It's not that. I'm just tired. I guess that thing that happened before took more out of me than I thought it did." She stood up. "I'm going to go back to the sub now. I think I'll take a shower then go to bed."

"I'll walk you back." Law stood up.

Lena frowned.

"That's not necessary," Neo said. "I'm quite capable of walking back to the sub myself."

"You're not going alone," Law said. "I don't want you passing out without someone with you."

"Then Penguin can come with me. Kailen will come too." Neo knitted her eyebrows. "And I'm not going to pass out."

Law opened his mouth to reply but Lena butted in. "Let her go with them instead. You don't have to go. This is why you're the captain. You can send some underlings to take care of her."

"Underlings?" Conner frowned.

"I get the feeling she's only interested in the captain," Archer said.

"I think we all saw that," Conner said.

Neo held her head high and looked directly in the captain's face. "I do not need you to follow me. It's not necessary. Stay and have some fun." She turned to the crew. "Thank you again for the party. I'm really grateful you did this for me."

"Sure thing."

"Anytime, Neo."

"Sorry you're not feeling all that well."

"Hope you're not getting sick."

"Thank you for your concern. I'm not getting sick," Neo said. "I just need to sleep. Kailen? Penguin?"

The two exchanged looks before helping her gather up her presents. She led them out of the tavern. Walking through the quiet town, Neo could feel the tension and the concerned looks passing between Penguin and Kailen. "You don't have to worry. I really am just tired."

"Uh, yeah," Penguin said.

"Sure," Kailen added.

They didn't believe her. She knew that.

Entering the sub she found it cooler than she had ever before. And it was like an abandon graveyard without the crew. It made her shiver.

"Would you like the books in our room or the rec. room?" Kailen asked.

"Our room will be fine," Neo said heading down the stairs. "We're running out of book space in the rec. room."

Reaching their room, Neo gathered up a pair of pajamas then headed for the door. "I'm going to shower then go to bed."

"Sure thing," Kailen said.

"I think I'm going to stay in the sub too," Penguin said.

"You two don't have to stay." Neo disappeared out of the room before they could reply. Her steps were heavy as she made her way to the captain's quarters. Reaching the door she paused. A heavy sigh passed over her lips before she forced herself inside of the room. Her body paused again when his scent swirled around her nose before heading into the bathroom. Her eyes fell to the bathtub. She really wanted a bath but didn't think she could handle it right now. Her brain was already forming an image of the captain inside of the tub. Only, this time, he wasn't alone. The woman from the tavern was with him. She shook the image from her head, undress, and crawled into the shower. It was one of the shortest showers she had ever taken. She was in and out within ten minutes.

Wringing the water out of her hair with her towel, she stepped back into her shared room. Kailen wasn't there. She was glad. She wasn't in a good enough mood to talk to him or anyone. She just put up her stuff, brushed out her hair, and then laid down on her bed. Lena flirting with the captain flashed through her mind. Her lungs seized up. Her heart took a painful beat. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. Neo pulled her blanket up to her chin and fell into a restless sleep.

…

Law watched as Neo left the tavern before he turned his eyes back to Lena. The woman was still talking but he had been paying attention to what she was saying.

"Anyway," Lena was saying, "I didn't buy the dress. It didn't suit me at all. Not like this one does. What do you think? Isn't it a nice dress?"  
Law glanced at her dress. It was skin tight, and very revealing. It was a dress Neo would never wear. Come to think of it he had never seen Neo in a dress. He wondered what she would look like in one.

For several minutes Law semi listened to what Lena was saying, which was mostly about herself and her taste in clothing. Even the crew had grown tired of her talking and disappeared. He tried to pay attention to her but now that Neo wasn't around all he could think about the absent woman, about how her hair had looser waves than Lena's. How Neo's smile was always bright and friendly and natural while Lena's was covered in red lipstick that far too bright for her light complexion. How Lena's eyes were filled with lust and desire as Neo was filled with innocence and wonder. Then when Lena laughed he found himself missing the bells that came with Neo's laugh. He watched Lena pick up her drink, which he didn't remember her ordering, and gulp it down. Her moves were nowhere near as graceful as Neo's were. Neo was graceful as a ballerina while Lena came off as a bumbling lumberjack.

"You know. It's getting a bit crowded in here." Lena smiled. "Why don't we get out of here? We could go back to my place. I live alone."

He reached his limit with her when she rubbed her hand over his thigh, moving closer to a place she shouldn't be venturing. An hour had barely gone by since Neo had left. He needed to go check on her, for professional reasons of course. She could be sick or about to pass out after all. He stood up.

"Where are you going?" Lena asked.

Law didn't answer. Nor did he even look at her. He just continued on towards the bathroom. Normally, he would have just walked out the front door. But he didn't want Lena to know he was leaving. He knew a woman like her would follow him. So once he stepped into the bathroom, he formed a Room and left the building. Strolling on towards the harbor he wondered what he was going to say to Neo. He doubted she was actually going to go to bed. The sun had barely been set for a couple hours. Besides the jealousy in her eyes when Lena flirted with him was obvious. Neo had only left because of that. He didn't make it any better by showing vague interest in Lena. Lena wasn't his type anyway. Her desperation was suffocating. He knew exactly where she wanted this night to go from the beginning, back to her place. He didn't want that.

Reaching the sub, he climbed up and started his search for Neo. Much to his surprise she wasn't in the rec. room reading like he thought she would he. Nor was she in the kitchen. But Kailen and Penguin were. They were in a hushed conversation. He only managed to pick out a few words like "she'll be okay", "she really does, doesn't she?", and "she needs to admit it, at least to herself" before they notice him standing there.

"Captain," Penguin said. "I thought you were still at the tavern."

"I was getting a headache," Law said. It wasn't a lie. He had a big one named Lena. "Where is she?"

"In our room," Kailen said.

Law nodded and left the room. The door was shut. He knocked. When no answer came he opened the door and stepped inside. Much to his surprise Neo was indeed sleeping. He walked over to the bed. With the light from the hall he was able to see her clearly. Something glistened on her cheeks. He squatted down for a closer look. Brushing his fingertips over her skin he found they were tears. His heart sunk. She had been crying. He jumped when she groaned in her sleep and rolled onto her side, facing him.

She tightened her cover around herself and whispered his name. "Law."

Law's heart sped up at the sound of his name on her lips. Reaching out he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. She sighed and nuzzled against him. He stayed there for a few minutes before finally leaving the room. Heavy footsteps took him to his room. Sinking down onto his bed, he propped up his sword and dropped his hat on his nightstand before running a hand over his face. Sighing, he leaned forward, pressing his elbows to his knees. A few seconds passed before he held up his palm. Without a word Neo's necklace appeared in his hand. He stared at it, his thumb racing over the smooth surface. Heart racing he wished he was still downstairs with her. "How could I have fallen for such a woman?"

…

"Neo, wake up."

Groaning, Neo pulled her blanket up over her head in an attempt to block out the sun and her brother. Her body and mind craved more sleep. Her restless sleep last night gave her nothing but weird dreams of floating lost in the ocean and an achy body.

"Come on, sleepy head." Kailen patted her on the shoulder. "You've already slept through breakfast."

"What?" Neo peaked out from her blanket. Her brother was dressed and shaved for the day. He looked revoltingly cheerful. She was far too miserable to deal with cheery people.

"You heard me." Kailen squatted down by her bed. "You're not sick, are you? It's rare for you to sleep in. Your eyes are a bit red too."

"No, I'm not sick," Neo said pulling the blanket back over her head, wishing it could hide her from the pain in her chest. "Now go away."

"I said time to get up." Kailen jerked the blanket off her.

"Kai!" Neo whined. "I don't want to get up! I'm tired!"

"You don't have a choice," Kailen said. "You're not staying inside all day because you're jealous another woman flirted with the captain."

Neo sat up with a glare. "I'm _not_ jealous! The captain can flirt with whomever he wishes! It has nothing to do with me!"

"Keep telling yourself that and someday you might believe it." Kailen stood up.

"I'm not in love with him, Kailen," Neo said.

"I didn't say anything of the sort. Now get up." Kailen walked towards the door. "I expect to see you in the galley in fifteen minutes. If you're not there I'll come drag you out of bed myself."

Neo, glaring at his back, watched him go before forcing herself out of bed. After a change of clothes, she headed upstairs. She paused, staring at the stairs the led up to the next set of stairs that would lead her to the captain's quarters. While she didn't want to go to his room her bladder had other ideas. With no other choice, she went there, her stomach doing flips as she went. She had no idea what he might say to her after last night. Much to her joy the captain wasn't in his room. She got in and got out within a few minutes then went to the galley. "I'm here."

"Good," Kailen said. He walked over from the counter and place a plate of fruit on the table.

"I'm assuming everyone's already gone." Neo sat down.

"They left shortly after breakfast." Kailen poured her some tea.

"Thanks." Neo took at drink before picking up an apple slice. She chewed on it before saying, "I'm not going anywhere near the captain."

"I'm not going to force you to right now. But you're not going to be able to avoid him forever." Kailen sat across from her.

"I wouldn't bet on that," Neo mumbled.

"I'd figure we'd spend some time together today."

Neo lifted her eyes to him.

"I've noticed that I've been spending a lot of time with the captain lately."

"Shocker. You two were in your own little world I didn't even think you noticed anyone else was around."

"Sorry. I guess I did kind of latch on to him." Kailen dropped his eyes to the table. "I miss work more than I thought I would."

"I'm sorry," Neo said.

"Don't be." Kailen shook his head. "Pushing that all aside. I'm going to take you out into the forest today."

"Really?" Neo's heart leaped. It's been a while since they had fun in a forest.

"I already have permission from the captain," Kailen said. "The only order we have to follow is to meet up with him later. He's still a bit concerned about that little episode you had."

Neo scoffed. "Sounds more like he just wants to use it to control me more."

"It's not like that at all. I'm still concerned too. We're still on this island. It would happen again," Kailen said.

"Not likely," Neo said.

"Maybe," Kailen said. "Let's hope not. Now eat up so we can get on with our day."

Neo nodded, focusing her attention on her meal. Once done she quickly washed the dishes then followed her brother out of the sub. Reaching the end of the dock, they veered to their left, leaving the noise of the harbor and town far behind.

Stepping under the canopy of the trees the warm sun was promptly cut off. She breathed in the smells of the forest. The tree bark, flowers, bushes, and sap from the world around them smelled incredible. Two birds dove down, their wings brushing across her shoulders before they perched on her. "Now this is more like it."

"I though this would renew you," Kailen said.

"Big brother always knows what I need." Neo wrapped her arms around his, pulling him farther into the forest. For an entire hour they walked through the woods. Several animals followed along with them like a small furry parade. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She plopped down in the middle of the lush grass. The animals gathered around her. She squealed with delight from their attention. "You are all so cute! I want to take you with us!"

"The captain would love that." Kailen sat down with a chuckle.

"Oh," Neo drawled. "He said no pets allowed. But he never said I couldn't bring animals onto the sub."

"Don't you dare," Kailen said with a smile. "You two are finally getting along. I want nothing to upset that."

Neo put on her most innocent look she had. "But animals love me. It's not my fault if they follow me into the sub."

"Stop that!" Kailen tossed a handful of grass at her.

Neo laughed. Picking up a fox, she held it up over her head while shoving her shoes off with her feet. "He's being mean. He would actually like you all joining us on the sub while we're here. He really would."

Kailen shook his head. A minute later he said, "You know, you'd feel a lot better if you'd just admit how you're feeling."

"Feeling?" Neo shifted, unable to look at her brother. Why did he have to know her so well? Why did she think she could possibly hide this from him? She should have known better.

"You know what I'm talking about," Kailen said. "It was painfully obvious that you were jealous last night when Lena was flirting with the captain."

Neo gulped. Her lungs and heart tightened, making it hard to breath. She tried to forget what happened between Lena and the captain but the image refused to leave. "I'm not jealous. I'm not. He can do was he wants. I don't care."

"Neo." Kailen sighed. "You know you can't stop your feelings for him through denial. It really would do you good to admit it. Even telling him would help you. I'm not saying you _have_ to tell him. I'm just saying that admitting it will make some of the pain will go away."

Neo sighed. She knew he was right.

"Just say it," Kailen said.

Neo sat up, her hand stroke over the fox's fur. She closed her eyes as her brother's hand found her back. To the rhythm of his rubs, she said, "I'm…I think I'm in love with the captain. I _am_ in love with him. It's not just a crush or physical attraction." Tears leaked over her eyelids. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It just happened."

The fox placed his small paws on her chest and licked her chin. She leaned into her brother's arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"I know. You don't have to apologize," Kailen said, stroking her hair.

"But why? Why did this happen?" Neo looked up at him. "Why him? Of all people on this planet, why _him_?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that. It's just something that happens." Kailen wiped her tears away. "But you feel better now, right?"  
Neo nodded. Her chest had become lighter. It was easier to breath now that she had admitted her feelings for the captain. "A little."

"You'd feel even better if you told him," Kailen said.

Neo snorted. "Not going to happen."

Kailen shrugged and said no more on the topic.

Neo continued to play with the animals. For hours she spent stroking them, letting them chase her around the forest, she even climb up a tree to see some newborn chipmunks before the sun started to set. Kailen stayed close by as always.

The bright colors of the sunset poked through the leaves, casting the forest in shadows and colorful spotlights.

"Well, we should be heading back." Kailen stood up and stretched out his back.

"Aw." Neo pouted. "Can't we stay a while longer?"

"We've spend most of the day here," Kailen said. "And I told the captain we'd check in with him when it got dark."

"Fine." Neo released the bunny she was holding and forced herself to pull her shoes back on. She let him pull her back to her feet. "This was great. Thank you for doing this."

"Anytime." Kailen kissed her temple then lead her back to the town.

Their peaceful walk back to the town was interrupted by a shrilling, "Neo!"

Both Neo and Kailen flinched. Looking around the saw Lena walking towards them.

"Just great," Neo grumbled.

"At least be nice," Kailen said. "We won't have to put up with her for long."

Neo huffed.

"I've been looking for you all day." Lena gave them a smile. One that Neo couldn't help but notice was forced.

"Oh?" Neo cocked an eyebrow. "What for?"

"I was hoping we could talk more." Lena looked around. "Is Law with you?"  
"The captain? No, he's not," Neo said.

"Oh." Lena frowned. "I assuming you're going to meet up with him, right?"  
Neo glanced at Kailen. That's exactly what they were doing. But she didn't want to tell the woman that.

"Right now we're having some brother and sister time," Kailen said. "Sorry we can't help you."

"Oh, so you haven't see Law either. I've run into some of your crewmates. They said they hadn't seen him either," Lena said. "I haven't seen him since he ran off on me last night."

Neo perched up. Her heart flipped. The captain had actually left Lena? He didn't spend the night with her at all. "He did?"  
Lena frowned. Her eyes narrowed in on Neo. "Yes. He left not long after you did. Did he come see you last night?"  
"No." Neo shook her head. "I haven't seen him since last night either. He wasn't on the sub when I got up. Kailen and I have been out in the forest all day."

"I see." Lena looked around the town.

"Sorry we can't help. If you'll excuse us." Kailen took Neo's arm and lead her away.

"Think the captain is hiding from her?" Neo asked, unable to glance back over her shoulder. Lena was no longer insight.

"I really wouldn't know. I'm not sure what type of women he's interested in," Kailen said. He gave her a teasing smile. "Except maybe you."

Neo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's _so_ interested in me. That's why he was flirting so openly with Lena last night. So where are we meeting up with the captain?"

"At a restaurant," Kailen said. "It's at the other end of the town. Very nice little place." He glanced at her. "You okay?"  
"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Today was a good day. I'm not going to let her ruin it."

"Good." Kailen smiled. A few minutes later he pulled her in front of a small building. "Here it is."

"Something smells good." Neo sniffed the air full of a tangy scent. "What is that smell?"  
"It's called barbeque sauce," Kailen said.

"Barbeque sauce?" Neo asked.

"It's a different way that humans cook meat," Kailen said. "I thought you might like to try the sauce. You can use it on vegetables too."

Neo hummed. "Well, if it smells this good it must taste just as good. Let's go!"

They entered into the building. Neo looked around. Several round tables were spread out in the room with checkered table clothes. Most tables were already filled. And in the far corner of the room was the captain with a few crewmates. They walked over to them and sat down.

"Did you enjoy your day out?" Penguin asked.

"Sure did." Neo sat down beside him. Her eyes went to the captain sitting across from her. The man was watching her, inspecting her. She turned her attention back to Penguin. "It helped to…get _some things_ straightened out in my head."

"Ah." Penguin nodded in understanding. "Glad to hear it. I took the liberty to order you some tea."

"Thanks." Neo took a drink of it. Sweetness washed over her tongue. She hummed in delight. "It's good. Though a bit more sugar than I put in."

"Is everyone here now?" a waitress asked. "Would you like to order now or would you like a few more minutes?"  
"Are you two ready?" Law asked.

"I'll have the salad," Kailen said.

"Me too," Neo added.

The waitress looked confused. "Is that all you would like?"  
"Yes," they said.

"Oh! And a side of that yummy smelling barbecue sauce for dipping!" Neo said.

"Okay." The waitress wrote the order down then took the pirates orders before rushing off to the kitchen.

"Apparently not many come here for salads only," Shachi said.

"You think?" Neo looked around the room. Everyone was eating some form of meat, but some had salad bowls too.

"I don't care as long as I get my fish," Bepo said, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. "Smells so good."

"Well, I might try a little of the meat, but I didn't want a whole plate," Neo said.

"That's fine. You can taste ours if you want to," Penguin said.

"You're so sweet." Neo smiled.

"There you are!" Everyone flinched as Lena's voice. She sauntered up to them, putting extra sway in her hips. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she pulled a chair over and sat down by Law.

Neo bit her cheek when Lena placed her hand on the captain's shoulder. She did her best to ignore the woman and the captain. But Lena's incessant talking was hard to ignore.

"I was looking all over for you. I was hoping we could get together again. I had so much fun with you all last night but you ran off far too early." Lena ran her finger down his chest suggestively. "I was hoping we could get more acquainted before we had to part ways. You know, this island is holding a party this weekend. There's a lot of food and dancing. How about we go together?"

"I don't dance," Law said.

Lena giggled. "I'm sure that's not true at all. Anyway, it's celebrating the founding of our little island. You all will love it. And we also-"

"Geez." Penguin leaned closer to Neo. "This woman is so dense. At least we'll be gone before this party happens. She'd probably try and drag the captain all the way there if we stayed."

"I think you might be right," Neo said.

"I can't believe how rude she's being," Archer said.

"I can," Conner said before turning his attention onto Lena. "Look, lady, we're trying to eat here. So get lost."

"Oh, great. I'm starving!" Lena waved to a waitress. "Excuse me! I'd like to order some food!"

"You've got to be kidding," Shachi said.

"Look, lady, we don't want you here," Conner said. "Get lost."

Lena ignored him and gave her order to the waitress.

Conner stood up, rattling the dishes when he slammed his hands on the table. "Don't ignore me!"

"Conner," Neo said, pulling his attention to her. "Just leave her be."

"Are you kidding?" Conner asked. "She's being extremely rude. No one wants her here anyway."

"She might be rude but we do not have to be." Neo looked at Lena. "Lena, if it's all right with the captain you can eat with us tonight. But you are being very rude in inviting yourself."

"Excuse me?" Lena narrowed her eyebrows.

"I will not repeat myself," Neo said.

Lena scoffed. She turned to Law, looking for him to be on her side. But all Law did was smile at Neo. "Don't tell me you're letting her make the decision here. You're the captain, not her."

Law shrugged in response. "Can't say that I disagree with her. You'd think after I left you alone last night you'd get the hint that I'm not interested in a woman who throws herself at a man with such desperation."

Lena's jaw fell open. Her eyes darted back and forth between Law and Neo. "Oh, I get it now." Her lips curled into a sneer. She looked right at Neo. "You lied to me."

"Excuse me?" Neo frowned.

"You might not have feelings for the captain but it's obvious that you're sleeping with him." Lena chuckled. "I do wonder though. How many others on this crew are you sleeping with?"

Neo gritted her teeth.

"How dare you?!" Penguin jumped to his feet, the legs of his chair scrapped across the floor. "Don't you talk about Neo like that! She's doesn't do anything of the sort! We all have the upmost respect for her!"

"I'm sure you do." Lena shook her head. "I'm sure you all respect ever inch of her body. Is she pregnant yet?"

"That's it! We've had enough of you!" Conner roared. The rest of the crew stood up.

"Enough," Neo said in her royal tone.

"But, Neo…" Bepo looked at her. "She's being…"

"I know exactly what she's being. And we're not going to lower ourselves to her level." Neo stood up. "Kai, will you bring my meal to the sub when you finish eating?"  
"Of course." Kailen nodded.

"So you're running away," Lena said.

Ignoring Lena's jab Neo headed for the door.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" Lena jumped up and followed her.

Neo hustled out the door. Unfortunately, she didn't get much farther before Lena grabbed her arm. "Let go."

"No," Lena said, her nails dug into Neo's skin. "We're finishing this."

"I have no interest in fighting over a guy," Neo said. "I'm far too mature to do that. If the captain likes you, then fine. If he doesn't like you, then fine."

Lena's face flushed with anger. "You arrogant little witch."

"Arrogant?" Neo blinked. Her eyes lifted over Lena's shoulder. The captain and the rest of the crew had followed them outside.

"Don't tell me you all came out here to fight _her_ battle," Lena said.

"Neo doesn't need us to fight her battles." Law cocked his head with a smirk. "We only came out to watch the show."

"There's not going to be a show," Neo said. "I'm not fighting her at all." She tried to walk away but Lena tightened her hold. "Let go."

"No," Lena said.

"I don't believe this." Neo rubbed her forehead. "Believe me. You don't want to fight me."

"You don't have a choice." Lena finally released Neo and held her fists up. "It might not look like it but I do know how to fight. Both my brothers are boxers. They taught me well."

Neo sighed. She looked to the crew. Every single one of them was smirking. Of course they had to find this amusing. She shook her head. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

"Very well." Neo summoned a crystal to her hand. She waited for the right moment. When Lena threw a punch at her, Neo snapped out a vine. It wrapped around Lena's fist, halting her attack.

"What the…?" Lena pulled on her arm. "Let go!"

"Why? You're the one who started this," Neo said. " _You're_ the one who wanted to fight _me_."

"B-but you weren't suppose to…h-how are you…w-what's going on?!" Lena demanded through her uncertain stutters.

"You picked a fight with the wrong person," Neo said. "Now, as I said before, I have no interest in fighting you. And I'm not going to. What _you_ are going to do is turn around and leave us alone now. Do you understand me?"

Lena nodded.

"Good. Now I don't care where you go. This is your home after all, but do not come near this crew or me again." Neo released Lena.

Lena rubbed her wrist before turning and running off.

The crew cheered and laughed while gathering around Neo.

"That was amazing!"

"Did you see the look on her face?!"

"Neo, you're the best!"

"Yeah. Honestly, I was expecting a real fight," Shachi said.

"Like I said, I have no interest in fighting over a guy. It's the captain's choice who he chooses to like." Neo glanced at Law. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression. She flushed and looked away. "Besides, I really didn't feel like fighting."

"You should come back and eat now that the interloper is gone," Penguin said.

"No." Neo glanced at the crowd that had gathered around them. "I really don't feel like being a spectacle anymore. I'm going to go back to the sub."

"Just come back inside," Law said. "We've already ordered the food."

"Is that an order?" Neo asked.

Law didn't answer. He just turned and walked back inside.

"Stay with us, Neo," Bepo said. "Please?"

The crew agreed.

"Okay." Neo nodded and followed them back inside.

…

Neo stared out at the star filled sky. Having come back to the sub after finishing their dinner, she took a shower then headed out for the top deck. Normally she would have gone to the main deck, but they were still docked at the harbor. She didn't feel like dealing with Lena on the off chance she wandered this way. Though she was sure the woman went home and was currently hiding there. Still, she didn't want to chance it. The cool sea air teased her still damp hair. It sent a shiver over her body, but she didn't want to go inside. The crew was still talking about her confrontation with Lena. She wished they would just let it go.

"You're going to get a cold out here with wet hair," Law said.

Neo jumped. She glared over her shoulder at him. "Still sneaking up on me I see."

Law smirked and walked over to her. He held out his hand, which was holding a bag. "Here."

"What's this?" Neo asked.

"Just take it." He thrust it into her hands. "It's for you."

Neo opened the bag. Her eyes widened when she found the dolphin statue she had been admiring in the jewelry shop. "You bought me a gift?"

"It's just a thank you for helping Bepo." Law crossed his arms over the railing, his eyes lifting to the stars. "And for your birthday."

Neo ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the dolphin. She wasn't expecting him to give her anything, for her birthday or otherwise. "Uh, thank you. It's really nice. I love it."

Law shrugged.

Neo sat the bag carefully down on the deck and retook her place. She stared up at the stars before she found her eyes drifting over to the man beside her. Kailen's words from that afternoon rolled around in her head. Her pulse thumped under her skin. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps she should just tell the captain how she felt and get it over with. Sure there would be no way they could actually have a relationship, but at least he would know how she felt about him. Or she could at least talk to him about the kiss she gave him. They still hadn't spoken about that. "Look, um, can we talk about…"

"About what?" Law gave her a sideways glance.

"About what happened between us on the deck a few weeks ago," Neo said. "When I kissed you…"

"What about it?" Law asked.

"I, uh…" Neo glanced down at the water. The stars sparkled brightly, making the ocean look as if it was a blanket covered in sparkling jewels. Her heart raced. Heat started creeping up her neck to her cheeks. "It's about…me kissing you. I'm…I'm sorry. It just happened. I wasn't planning on doing it. It just happened because you were…I'm I was…" She bit her lip. This wasn't as easy as Kailen made it sound. There had to be a better, or easier way, to just come out and say what she needed to. She thought back to Luminous, to her friends. How would they go about admitting to a guy they like him? She shook her head. It wouldn't help. Her friends were far too different than she was. Their ways wouldn't help her at all.

"Neo," Law called.

With a deep breath, she forced herself to look at him. The second she locked eyes with him, he leaned in and kissed her. Neo's mind shorted out. All she felt was his warm, slightly capped, lips covering hers. All she could see was his eyes staring back into hers. Then he pulled away and disappeared back inside of the sub.

…

 **Author's Notes: I have so many doubts about this chapter. All I knew I wanted was Neo to** _ **not**_ **be the damsel. Hope it's okay.**


	21. Winter Not so Fun

Winter Not so Fun

Law closed his eyes when the hot water hit his skin. He wished he didn't. The second darkness covered his eyes his mind flashed him a reminder of the kiss. Not just the kiss he had given Neo but also the one she had given him. Before all he wanted was the memory of her kissing him to fade away. But the more time went on the more he found he wanted her to kiss him again. He wanted to kiss _her_. And he did. Sure he didn't plan to do it. Something about seeing her outside on her own, alone with no one else around…no her being alone had nothing to do with it. He just wanted to kiss her because he found her very attractive. He still wanted to kiss her, again and again and again. And it was obvious that she did too. She had wanted to talk to him about her kissing him. And possibly more. It made him wonder if he should have let her talk. Though he wasn't sure if she would be able to talk about it at all. She was having such a hard time. He probably made it worse now that he kissed her.

Since that night, two weeks ago, they both had been tap dancing around each other, unsure of what to say or where exactly their tense relationship was going now. Both knew they were only on this sub temporarily. It made having a relationship difficult. It was doable, but difficult. There was only one question that hung between them. What do they do about each other now?

They still shared his bathroom. And that alone caused him a lot of…well he really wasn't sure what. Temptation maybe. All he knew was he was very well aware she used his shower, and his tub. He could see her, standing inside of his shower. Her body naked with water running over her shoulders and down her breasts.

A shiver of arousal wracked through his body. Immediately, he turned the knob to cold water. His body jumped in protested to the cold intrusion. "Shut up. Idiot. You shouldn't think like that about her."

But his mind didn't stop. Now he was seeing her lying in his bathtub, the water barely covering exposed body, her foot lifting out of the water to reveal her thigh to him. Law ran his hand through his wet hair with a heavy sign. It took all he had to force her out of his mind so he could get his shower over with. Five minutes later he turned the water off and stepped out into the cold room. He frowned. He just had to have those thoughts and a cold shower as they came upon a winter island. Grabbing his towel he dried his body off as he stepped up to the sink. His eyes locked onto the mirror. His cheeks were red from his inappropriate thoughts of Neo. His hair was sticking up all over the place from him rubbing his towel into it. Setting his towel aside he pulled on his boxers and jeans before combing out his hair. By that time he had his mind and body back under control he stepped into his room to finish getting dressed. First he pulled on his favorite hoodie then pulled a jacket over it. His socks and boots went on next. At that time, for whatever reason, he realized that Neo might do something that she shouldn't. If he remembered correctly there had been a conversation somewhere along the way that snow wasn't a normal occurrence on her home island. She might run off and get into trouble again.

Grabbing his hat and sword, he turned and rushed towards his door, already expecting her to be running up the stairs so she could get a good view of the snow or leave the sub before they had docked.

…

Neo shivered and pulled her cover up around her shoulders. Unable to keep warm, she opened her eyes with a groan. "Ugh. Why is it so cold in here?"  
"Because we're near a winter island," Kailen said while pulling a shirt over his chest.

"A winter island?" Neo shot off her bed and over to the porthole. Pushing upon her toes, she peered outside. She gasped. The sub was strolling along side an island blanketed in freshly fallen snow. The trees and buildings looked as if they had been dunked in some icing. She spun on her heels and ran out of the room.

"Neo!" Kailen called after her.

Neo heard her brother, but didn't stop for him. She continued to run up the stairs, passed confused pirates, and out the already open door. Another gasp escaped her, her warm breath rolling out of her mouth. The cold wind bit at her skin. The once warm deck was now cold underneath her bare feet.

"You really shouldn't be out here without warm clothes on," Conner said.

Neo glanced at him. He was the only other one outside. He leaned back against the railing, just watching her. She walked over to him. Placing her hands on the cold railing, she stared out at the snow. "I can't help it. Like I said we don't get snow on Luminous unless it's made by us. It's beautiful."

"That's nice to know. But the captain is going to be upset if you get sick," Conner said.

"I won't. Cold doesn't really bother us like it does humans. I mean we're not immune to it, but we can handle it better than you all can." Neo lifted herself upon the railing. Standing there she summoning an earth crystal, she prepared to swing herself over to the island with some vines. But suddenly the island disappeared and a black blur reappeared in front of her. She jumped at the unexpected change. "What the heck?!"

"What are you doing?" Law asked.

Neo lifted her eyes to him then behind him to her brother. "Did you tell him?"

"Nope." Kailen shook his head. "I ran into him while following you up here. He figured you were going to pull something like this."

"I wasn't going to pull anything." Neo crossed her arms. "It's only natural to want to play in the snow."

"I don't care if it is natural. Or if you're more immune to the cold than we humans are," Law said.

"You were listening?" Neo asked.

"It wasn't a private conversation," Conner called to her.

"Oh hush!" Neo snapped back at him.

"You're not leaving this sub without your winter gear," Law said. "Now get back downstairs."

"But I-"

"We're eating breakfast before we go ashore," Law said.

"Fine." Neo walked around the two men and headed downstairs with heavy footsteps. She grumbled to herself as she went. "Fine. I'll get dressed and make your breakfast like a good little slave. And then I'm going outside, with or without anyone." She paused on the last step to the third floor when nature started to stir in a familiar way. Glancing back over her shoulder she found Kailen had followed her. "Kailen…do you sense that?"

"I do." Kailen nodded. "There's a water and an earth elemental living here."

Neo swallowed, her heart sped up. "Do you think they've seen Godfather?"  
"It's worth asking them about it," Kailen said. "But first things first."

"I know. I have to get dressed and eat." Neo continued to their room. After rushing through her morning routine, she dashed to the galley to help Penguin finish up breakfast.

"Captain," Kailen said once everyone was gathered in the warm room. "You all should know that there are two elementals on this island. A water and an earth elemental."

"Is that a problem?" Archer asked.

"No." Kailen shook his head. "But we need to go talk to them. They might misunderstand why we're with you pirates."

"Why would they do that when your people travel with pirates?" Archer asked.

Neo glanced up at her brother, hoping he had an answer for him since neither wanted to mention her royal status.

"Because our people typically only travel with him and his crew," Kailen said. "They might think that you all kidnapped us. We just want to make sure they know that's not the case."

"All right. Take a couple of the crew with you," Law said, his eyes flickered to Neo. The image of her in his bathroom flashed through his mind. He dropped his eyes to his place when she looked at him curiously. "And I expect you two to come back and check in with me before doing anything else."

"We will," Kailen said.

"We might come back," Neo said earning a disapproving look from both her brother and the captain. "What? They might have seen Godfather."

"Would you really leave like that?" Bepo asked, his ears pinned down to his head in disappointment.

"Oh, no. I was only kidding," Neo said. "I would never just take off like that on you guys. I love you all. I would definitely say goodbye before leaving."

"Really?" Bepo asked, his ears lifting slightly.

"Really." Neo nodded. "I didn't mean to imply what we would take off without saying anything."

"Good." Bepo smiled.

"I'd like to go with you this time," Archer said. "It's been a while since we've spend time together."

"I'd like to go as well," Shachi said. "That is if you don't mind, Pen."

"Oh, I don't know." Penguin slipped his arm around Neo's shoulders. "We've gotten so close with each other that I'm not sure if we can spend so much time apart."

Neo giggled, leaning into Penguin's hold. "So true. I'll miss you so much if we're separated. Since we like each other so much maybe we should get married?"

Penguin laughed. "Absolutely!"

Neo snuck a glance at Law. She smiled when he appeared annoyed.

"Very funny." Shachi shook his head, with a smile. "Sometimes you two are too much trouble. We should just leave you _both_ behind."

"Not a bad idea," Penguin said. "We could start our own pirate crew."

"Now that would be fun," Neo said. "I could take you back to Luminous with us."

"Hey!" the rest of the crew protested. "We want to come too!"

Neo laughed at them. She couldn't help but sneak another glance at the captain. She knew he was already a bit annoyed; passing up the chance to annoy him again would be a mistake. She couldn't resist messing with him some more. "Well, looks like you're crew is more loyal to me than you. I hope you don't mind me stealing them to form our own pirate crew."

Law's annoyance disappeared. It was replaced with a smirk. "Continue on thinking that. But a crewmember of a pirate crew can't leave without their captain's permission."

"Oh." Neo deflated. She had forgotten about that little rule.

"Looks like if you want to stay with the crew you have to stay here with them," Law said.

Growling at being defeated by him again, Neo grumbled into her pancakes. "You're just a jerk no matter what I do or say. One of these days I'm going to get you good."

"If you continue to think that you'll believe it someday," Law whispered in her ear. "But it won't happen no matter how much you believe it."

Neo jumped. She whipped her eyes to him to reply but he was already walking passed her and out the galley door.

"Just give up," Penguin told her. "You're never going to take him down in any kind of way."

"Maybe," Neo said thinking of his expression when she kissed him and when he kissed her. "Maybe not."

"Is there a hidden meaning behind that?" Shachi smiled.

"Not at all." Neo forced down a blush. The crew refocused on their meal before they finally started leaving the room. She helped Penguin clean things up then headed back to the room to grab her coat. She met her brother, Shachi, and Archer on the deck. They headed down to the snowy dock and towards the town. Bending down, Neo scooped up a hand full of snow and started shaping it in her hands. A smile pulled across her lips when she remembered when Shanks had her make snow on Luminous. She was definitely going to make at least one snowman before they left this island.

"So how are we going to find these people?" Archer asked as they stepped into the town.

"We can sense each other," Kailen said. "Right now they're in the town. I'm sure they'll come to meet us since we just arrived on the island."

"That must be handy," Shachi said. "There've been some times we could use a gift like that to locate missing crewmembers."

"Really? Like when?" Neo asked.

"Well, once this guy here," Shachi jerked his thumb at Archer, "was led away from the crew by a sexy looking bounty hunter. We have no idea where he was."

"Must you tell them about that?" Archer groaned. "I still feel like an idiot that I fell for that."

"I must," Shachi continued. "Anyway the woman thought she could do better than just one of our crew and wrote a ransom note to the captain about having Archer. Well, it turned out this woman was horrible with directions. We were going in circle for two days before we finally found where she and Archer were."

Neo looked at Archer in disbelief.

"I couldn't help it! She was so beautiful! And we hadn't seen a woman for an entire month!" Archer said.

"I don't think I'll ever understand the desire of sex," Neo said.

"Not even if you were attracted to someone, say, the captain?" Shachi asked.

Neo flushed. "Why would you say that?!"

"Just asking." Shachi held up his hands in surrender. "You never know."

"Well, I do know. Nothing like _that_ is ever going to happen between me and your captain," Neo said.

"If you insisted." Shachi shared a smile with Archer.

Neo cocked an eyebrow at them, wondering what was going through their heads at the moment. With her snowball still in hand, she threw it at Shachi. It hit him on the shoulder.

"Hey!" he protested. "What was that for?!"

"I felt like it." Neo stuck her tongue out at him.

"Then you're going to get it!" Shachi scooped up some snow, rolled it into a ball, and then tossed it at her.

Neo dodged the ball with a squeal before scooping more snow into her hands. A small snowball war broke out between three of the four walking down the snowy path through town. Kailen walked ahead of them, doing his best not to get pulled into their game. People from the town dodged around them, also hoping not to get hit by a rogue snowball.

"This isn't right," Kailen suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Neo paused in throwing a snowball at Archer.

"The elementals," Kailen whispered. "I know they know we're here, but we aren't catching up to them."

"We're not?" Neo looked around. She noticed they were almost to the other side of the town. "Why are they leading us out of the town? It doesn't make sense."

"Are you sure they can sense you? Maybe they have a cold or something that's interfering with that, um, whatever it is," Archer said wiggling his fingers as if casting a spell.

"No," Kailen said. "They know we're here. There's no sickness that would prevent us from sensing each other. Or not to this extent."

"Well, maybe they noticed we're traveling with pirates and would prefer to speak to us outside of the town?" Neo asked though she knew it wasn't possible. The small group continued to walk through the town. They passed the last buildings and came to a small forest trail. She looked at Kailen. "Shall we continue?"

Kailen hummed in thought before saying, "Might as well. We have to talk to them either way."

Neo and the pirates followed him down the trail. Suddenly, a low rumble vibrated through the air. It also vibrated through the ground and into both elementals' bodies. "Oh no."

"What's wr-" Shachi was cut off by a vine wrapping around his mouth. More vines slipped around his and Archer's bodies before they were pulled into the forest.

"No!" Neo dashed forward. "Give them back!"

"Neo, wait!" Kailen followed.

The farther they got into the forest, the louder the rumbling became. Then they felt it. Snow from the mountain outside of the town released the piles of snow it had accumulated. No, it didn't. The earth elemental forced it to release the snow. Both Neo and Kailen could feel the snow tumbling down towards the town. Neo's heart clenched. There was nothing they could do. Even with both their control over earth they wouldn't have enough time or magic to hold back an avalanche. Her boots thumped against the snow, packing it down onto the ground. If only she had all her crystals. She could stop this with them. Rounding a large tree she came face to face with the two elementals. The two were clearly expecting them. Thorns were pointed at the unconscious pirates' necks.

…

Law watched Neo as she and her small group headed into town. None of them saw him. When they had disappeared into the crowds he headed passed the harbor, around the town, and walked along the edge of the island. He didn't feel like being around other people, especially unwelcome advances of the opposite sex. He was also hoping that the cold air would clear his head, and cool off his body.

A few minutes later his walk was interrupted by an all too familiar rumble. His eyes shot up to the mountain. Snow was pouring down its side, heading right towards the town. His feet took him towards the town before his mind could even think about doing so. Neo instantly jumped into his mind. She and her group were heading into the town. They could be trapped. They all could get trapped underneath all of that snow.

The snow hit the town. If people were screaming, which he knew they were, he didn't hear them. His heart was pounding so hard in his ears he wasn't sure he would be able to hear them anyway. He reached the docks. The snow hadn't fallen onto it, thankfully. Those who were at the docks scattered and hollered commands at each other.

"Come on! Grab some shovels! We have to get them out of there!"

"My family is still in town!"

"Hurry up! We can still save people!"

Law's eyes scanned over the massive pile of snow. Holding out his hand, he warped himself up to a snow peak then to another one and then to another one. Now standing on top of the pile, he looked over the buried town. He saw nothing but snow and the tip of a cross most likely attached to a church. His fingers tightened around his sword, forming a Room as big as he could. It wasn't enough. He knew it wasn't enough. There was no way he could warp his crew out of this mess. He didn't even know where they were. He didn't know where Neo was. Feeling no pain from her brought him little comfort. Wherever she was at least she wasn't hurt. Still, he had to find her. He had to see for himself that she was all right.

Gritting his teeth to the point his jaw ached, he readied himself to try and warp people out anyway in hopes of getting his crew, and the elementals, back. But the sound of snapping wood stopped him. Gaze over the town he saw vines and trees moving in unnatural ways. His heart jumped. It had to be Neo and, or, Kailen. Which ever it was they would be able to help free the crew. He ran towards the ruckus.

…

Neo's eyes dropped to the two pirates, studying them carefully. Other than being knocked out and bound by vines they didn't look to be hurt. She pulled her eyes back up to the elementals and glared. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"We are protecting our princess," the woman said.

"These _pirates_ won't bother you again," the man said.

"They weren't bothering us in the first place," Neo said taking a step forward.

"They are pirates, Princess," the woman said.

"So what?! Our Godfather is a pirate!" Neo said. "Don't you know him?! His name is Shanks! He's been to our home island of Luminous several times! He's a friend to our people!"

"Then he is the exception," the man said. "But no. We have not met him before."

"Just hold on." Kailen stepped forward. "Could you at least give us your names?"

"I am Rini," the woman said. "And this is Jaq. We have lived on this island for four years now."

"Fine. Now give us back our friends," Neo said.

"Friends?" Rini sneered. "I assure you, Princess, pirates are not your friends."

"Not this again." Neo ran her hand down her face.

"Calm down, Neo," Kailen said. "They've obviously have been through some terrible things with pirates."

"You are very observant, young man," Jaq said. "And who might you be?"

"I am Kailen. Neo's brother," Kailen said. "I can assure you that these pirates are not our enemies. We have been traveling with them for months."

"Now give them back to us!" Neo shouted.

"You, Princess, are too young to know the harm that humans can do, especially pirates," Rini said. Her eyes filled with distain as she looked at her two prisoners.

"These animals will do nothing but use you," Jaq said.

"Tell me, Princess," Rini said. "How did you two come to be on these _pirates_ ship? And what are you doing off of Luminous?"

Neo flinched at the first question. That answer would not do their situation any good. So she ignored it. "The darkness crystal has returned. Atlas, someone we trusted, has betrayed our people. He murdered our parents. And I…I saw it." Tears burned her eyes. The cold wind only made it worse. "I lost the use of my crystals because of that event. Kailen managed to escape with me. And I've recently been able to use my earth crystals again. We're looking for Godfather in hopes he can help us."

"I see," Rini said moving her thorns closer to the pirates' necks. "Then we shall help you find your godfather. But first we must dispose of these _pirates_."

"No! You can't do that!" Neo screamed. "I order you to let them go!"

"Apologies, Princess." Jaq bowed his head. "But we cannot follow that order. You haven't seen the things that we have. These pirates are not good for you to be around. I assure you we are doing the right thing."

"No! You're not!" Neo said. "They haven't done anything wrong!"

"Oh, really? Then why have you avoided my question on how you came to be on their ship?" Rini asked.

Neo flinched. Anger built up inside of her, burning like a wildfire. Her eyes locked onto the thorns moving towards Shachi and Archer's necks. Visions of her parents and the mother bear flashed through her head. She screamed and charged forward. "No! I won't let you hurt them!"

Rini and Jaq gasped.

Neo plowed into Rini, knocking her and her thorns away from her friends. They rolled on the ground before Neo pinned Rini to the ground. "Leave them alone!"

"You will grow to understand this," Rini said before using vines to push Neo off her.

Neo used the momentum to leap into the air. Taking a quick glance at Kailen, she found him and the water elemental locked into battle.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off your opponent, Princess!" Rini said.

Neo summoned her crystals and formed a wall of vines to keep herself from being trapped by Rini's vines. A rock flew up at her, but before it came too close, it veered off to the right. She gasped when her body suddenly plummeted to the ground. A vine had been wrapped around her ankle. Below her a giant yellow flower had sprouted out of the ground. It was obvious Rini was going to try and trap her there. Growling, she shot her own vines into the ground and pulled herself down to it. Upon impact she smashed the flower before linking herself to the trees. The trees groaned and shifted. Their limbs reached out for Rini.

"You are impressive, Princess," Rini said while dodging the wooden arms and fingers that clawed at her.

Neo frowned. She didn't want to fight. But she continued. With a wave of her hand thorns were released from her crystals. She shot them at Rini.

Rini blocked the thorns with a rock before retaliating with a thorn of her own.

Neo barely dodged the thorn as it flew passed her ear. "Enough!" She clapped her hands. Nature erupted around her. Vines, trees, rocks, and even flowers shot up from the ground. They wrapped around Rini and Jaq, stalling their attacks. She glared at them then looked to her brother. "This is over! Kailen?!"

"I'm okay." Kailen panted, his right sleeve soaked in water.

Neo turned back to the other two. Standing with her back straight and her head held high, she released them. Her royal tone rang out, shaking the earth and nature around them. "I command you to kneel before your royal!"

Defeated, the elementals took to one knee. "Yes, Princess."

"Now, you _will_ obey me from this day on. First, you are to absorb the water from Kailen's coat. Second, you are to remove the snow from the town," Neo said. "And when Shachi and Archer wake up you will apologize to them. Finally, when we are united with the crew you will not mention me being a royal to them."

"What?" They glanced up at her.

Neo sighed. "That's one secret we haven't told them." Rini and Jaq exchanged looks before looking back at her. "Look, I know you two meant well, but these pirates are not our enemies. Despite the way we might have ended up on their sub, they're not bad people. I mean, not really. I know they're pirates and they've done things they shouldn't have. But…they really are good."

"Neo! Kailen!"

Neo and Kailen turned when Law called their names. She glanced back at her people. "Remember my orders. The captain and his crew don't know about my royal status. And I want it to stay that way. At least for now."

"Why? If I may asked," Jaq said. He summoned a water crystal and started absorbing the water from Kailen's coat.

"Because they treat me as if I was normal," Neo said.

"Very well, Princess. We will not say anything about that," Jaq said.

"Neo! Kailen!" Law called out again. They turned around once more to see the pirate captain had finally reached them. His eyes locked right onto Neo. His chest heaved up and down as she stood in front of her, his eyes searching her for injuries. The concern caused her body to stiffen up. She swallowed. "Are you two okay? What happened?"  
"We're fine. And it was all a misunderstanding," Kailen said.

"A misunderstand?!" Law whipped his eyes to the new elementals. "My crew is stuck under tons snow! If they don't get out soon they're going to die! If they're not dead already!"

"We're really sorry. We thought that you kidnapped the pr, uh, Neo and Kailen," Jaq said.

"We'll remove the snow right now," Rini said.

"I want a full explanation," Law said to Neo and Kailen.

"So would we." Kailen looked at the elementals. "We haven't gotten their story yet."

"Oh, my head," Archer said as he and Shachi started waking up.

Neo dropped to her knees in front of them. "Are you two okay?"

"I think so," Shachi said.

"My head is ringing," Archer said. "What happened? I remember walking through the town then nothing."

"You two were knocked out," Neo said.

Law knelt down to inspect them. "Any other symptoms?"

"No," Archer said.

"We'll be fine," Shachi added.

"Then let's get back to the town. We'll explain on the way," Jaq said taking the lead. "We were truthful about pirates being terrible people. We've seen them kill so many people, some our own. We've moved from island to island, hoping to find a place we can live peacefully among the humans. We thought we found it on the last island we lived on. But we were wrong. Pirates came. And they tricked our daughter into becoming one of them."

"Your daughter?" Neo asked.

Jaq nodded, his hand tightened around his wife's. "She had fallen in love with the captain."

Neo flinched.

"We tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen. She left with him. A week later we found out that she was helping him steal things and sinking ships. Then one day she returned home. He had beaten her," Jaq said. "We thought that we were finished with him and his crew. We were wrong. They came back to try and take her back with them. When she refused, they killed her."

"The pain was too much for us," Rini said. "In our grief we slaughtered them one by one. Then we left to find another island to live on."

"If it was that bad why didn't you return to Luminous?" Neo asked.

"Many times I have asked myself that very same question." Jaq hung his head. "If we had our little girl would still be alive."

"That's why we hate pirates so much," Rini said. "And that's why we knocked you two out. We're really sorry. We only wanted to protect the pri-"

Neo shot the woman a glare.

"I mean, we only wanted to protect our people," Rini said.

Neo relaxed. Her secret was safe once again. Reaching the edge of the buried town, the elementals stayed hidden behind the tree before pulling out their crystals and started to move the snow off the town and into the ocean as quickly as they could. They all entered into it once it was cleared enough, looking for the missing pirates. An hour later the crew was gathered together. Neo happily gave them all hugs. "I'm so glad you all are fine! I was so worried!"

"I wasn't worried," Bepo said.

"Easy for you to say," Penguin said brushing snow off his suit. "You come with a build in fur coat. I thought we were going to freeze in there."

"Can someone tell us what happened? Why did the snow suddenly fall on top of us?" Conner asked.

"Let's head back to our home." Jaq scanned his eyes over the townspeople. Those from the harbor were running around checking on people and what damage had been done to the town. "We'll have more privacy to talk there."

"And we want to make up for what we have done to you all," Rini said as they headed back towards the woods.

Stepping into the house the heat from the fire pushed back the cold. Neo was ushered to the only chair in the room by Rini. Sitting down she hoped the crew didn't find that odd while mumbling her thanks. Jaq walked over to the fire and placed more logs into it. The logs snapped and crackled. When everyone was settled around the room, some sitting or standing on the stairs to the second floor, the story was once again told. During that time Rini disappeared into the kitchen and soon came back with steaming cups of hot chocolate for everyone.

"Thank you." Neo ducked her head when Rini gave her a mug first. Feeling someone watching her, she glanced around. She found that person to be the captain. Of course it was him. He was a close observer of his surroundings, especially when it came to her. She took a sip of her drink and tried to ignore him.

"Man, that's rough," Penguin said when the story had concluded.

"Again, we're really sorry for the trouble we caused," Jaq said.

"Don't worry," Archer said. "All's forgiven. We could never hold a grudge against someone Neo trusts."

Neo stared down into the thick brown liquid in her mug, thinking about how hard their lives have been.

"Is something on your mind, P-Neo?" Rini asked.

"I'm just thinking about how hard things are for you out here. I want to advise you to go home to Luminous, but with the darkness crystal still there…" Neo's voice trailed off. Sending them back home would only give Atlas and the darkness crystal more people to control.

"We understand," Jaq said. "And to be honest, I'm not sure we would return there if we could."

"At least think about it." Neo looked up at them.

"We will." Jaq nodded.

Neo nodded back.

"Well, I'm going to start cooking," Rini said. "You all are probably hungry by now."

"You don't have to do that," Neo protested. "There's too many of us. The hot chocolate is enough."

"Nonsense. Besides it would be an honor to cook for you." Rini rolled up her sleeves as she headed into the kitchen.

Neo tightened her hands on her cup. She dared not look up at the crew. Surely more than just the captain had picked up on that. They had to notice now that something was different here.

"Don't bother trying to stop her," Jaq said. "Rini comes from a very large family. She loves cook, too."

"Sounds a bit like Neo," Penguin said.

"You cook?" Jaq asked, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, um, my dad taught me how," Neo said, hoping the water elemental wouldn't discuss the matter farther. She relaxed when he turned to the pirates and started talking to them about their travels. Still, she wanted an excuse to leave the room for a while. Looking around for a reason to excuse herself, she found that Law was no longer in the room. Her eyes then fell upon the only mug that wasn't taken off the tray. Standing up, she poured more hot chocolate into her mug and the abandon one then headed outside. She found Law standing a few yards away from the house staring up at the sky. Coming to his side she held out the extra mug for him. "Here. Don't want you to get too cold out here."

"What are you doing out here?" Law took the mug from her but didn't drink it.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. It just got a bit stuffy in there," Neo said. "I needed some air."

"Makes sense with how those two were practically falling all over you," Law said watching her closely.

Neo flinched with a chuckle, unable to hold his gaze. The snow at her boots suddenly became very interesting. She shoved it around with the toe of her boot. "What do you mean? They're not treating me any differently than anyone else."

"No, they only escorted you to the only chair in the house, the woman gave you a mug first, she insisted on serving you food, and that look on the man's face when you said you cook wasn't normal," Law said. "It's almost like they're your servants and don't want you to do anything for yourself."

Neo laughed. "Don't be silly. They're just trying to make up for what they did."

"They didn't treat Kailen special," Law said.

"What difference does it make?" Neo walked a few feet away from him. "I'm nothing special."

"You said yourself that you're different from other elementals," Law said.

Neo gritted her teeth. She did admit that.

"Why don't you just tell me?" Law asked.

Neo didn't reply. The crunching of snow filled the silent space between them. Her body tensed when the heat from his body washed over her. Her heart raced in her chest.

"You know I will find out one day," Law whispered in her ear, his breath tickled her skin.

"I know," Neo said. "It's inevitable that you will. But for now…please don't push this. Please, Captain."

"Very well, Neo."

Neo's body went cold when he pulled away from her but her head became light from him saying her name. She wanted him to come back, to be near her again, to say her name without the Miss. But he didn't. Glancing over her shoulder she found he was still with her, only a mere three feet away. Temptation hammered her hard. Her body wanted to move closer to his. Her hand twitched to reach out for his. But she didn't. She stayed right where she was, trying to sort out what exactly they were becoming to each other. Surely he didn't kiss her for no reason at all. "Um, Captain?"

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Neo whispered. "It's nothing." Her heart sank from being unable to speak up. Until Law moved closer to her. Neither of them looked at each other. They just remained in the quiet, enjoying each other's company. Then, within the quiet, Law reached over to her, slipping his fingers in between hers.

…

Law leaned back against Rini and Jaq's house as he watched those who decided to stay around build snowman after snowman. In this particular moment he felt like he was as single parent of unplanned kids. Then he saw himself being married to Neo with kids. The thought brought him as much surprise as it did comfort. Shaking it from his mind he thought how Neo, Shachi, Penguin, Bepo, and Archer had decided to stick around and build snowmen while the rest of the crew and Kailen disappeared into the town. For the passed two days some of them had been staying at this house with the elementals. Rini had insisted. Most of the crew stayed in town or on the sub. And in that time he noted several times where Rini and Jaq acted like servants to Neo. The thought of Neo being a noble passed through his mind on several occasions. But she nor Kailen ever mentioned having noble on their island. Still, it was an option. And it was the only conclusion he came to, other than the possibility of her being of royal bloodline. But like the thought of her being a noble, he didn't know if they had royalty on their island. Part of him wanted to ask her if she was royalty or a noble, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to ask the question.

Instead he kept the thought to himself and just stood at a distant. Currently, Neo was pushing a large snowball up to their in progress snowman, which was their sixth one. He knew the snowball would be too heavy for her to pick up, but she tried anyway.

"Let me do that." Penguin bent down. Pulling the snow into his arms, he stood up and placed it on the body of the snowman.

"Thanks," Neo said before she smoothed out the snowman's body with her hands.

Law's attention was pulled from her when someone cleared their throat. Jaq had walked over to him. The elemental had a serious look on his face.

"Young man," Jaq said. "You might be able to hide this stuff from your crew, but you can't hide it from me."

"What are you talking about?" Law frowned.

"I can tell you have feelings for her," Jaq said.

"Don't be ridiculous," Law said, turning his eyes back to Neo.

"I could say the same to you." Jaq adjusted his coat collar. "You do know that it will be extremely difficult for you two to actually become something more, don't you?"

Law glanced at the man.

"And I'm not talking about her being an elemental and you being human," Jaq said. "She doesn't belong in the world of humans. She belongs back home on Luminous. With our people."

"You don't have to tell me this," Law said. "Them being on my crew is just temporary. We all knew that from the beginning."

"That was then. And this is now." Jaq gave him a stern look. "Things have changed. They always do. Whatever happens between you two, do not ever break her heart." He walked away. "She far too sweet to have that happen."

Law watched him walk away before looking back at Neo. His heart sunk in his chest. He knew all too well how sweet she was. And he knew he had already hurt her by flirting with that woman. The sight of her crying never left his mind. Even giving her his gift didn't bring any kind of comfort to him from hurting her. He wasn't sure what would. Or maybe it was one of those things that wouldn't heal no matter what he did or said.

Pushing off the wall, he headed for the woods. He needed to roam, to think about where he wanted to go with Neo. There were only two options. One was to forget all this was happening. Even if they did have feelings for each other the fact that Neo and Kailen were only temporarily passengers on his sub still remained. The second option was try to have a relationship with her. But could they do it? Could they handle a relationship with each other? Would Neo remain on her home island if they became a couple? Or would she give it up to sail with him? He knew he couldn't give up being a pirate. Well, for her he might be able to. He was sure he would be able to. But he still had a mission to complete. He still had to kill Doflamingo for what he had done thirteen years ago. That really was his only goal in all of this. Nothing else mattered. Once he did that he could go back to Neo. They could be a couple then. Well, they could if he didn't get killed by Doflamingo in the process. He had no idea if he would ever get strong enough to take the warlord down. His body paused. The answer was right there. It was possible he was going to get killed by Doflamingo. He couldn't put Neo through all of that. He was going to end their blooming relationship before it went too far.


	22. Storms

Storms

Neo folded her shirt and placed it inside of her bag.

"Are you sure you're all right, Princess?" Rini asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Neo said. But her mind said otherwise. It was spinning around the cold shoulder that Law had been giving her these past two days. Nothing about it made sense. She thought that something was happening in their relationship since that night he took her hand in his. Now it was like they were back at square one. Only this time she had no idea why.

"Well, I really wish that you would stay," Rini said. "I still think you'd be better with us than those pirates."

Neo nodded a bit. A small part of her was thinking the woman was right. Still she finished packing and zipped up her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she turned to Rini. "I'm sorry. As much as I'd like to stay, I really need to go. I have to find Godfather. With any luck we'll run into him at some point. Or someone who knows where he is."

"I understand." Rini nodded. "Please, do be careful out there. It's possible the dark elementals are looking for you. I don't think they'll just sit back and let you roam so freely knowing you're still alive."

"I know," Neo said. She glanced around her private room to make sure she had all of her stuff. "That's another big reason as to why my brother and I need to keep moving."

"Oh, all right." Rini crossed her arms. "Just promise me you won't let any of those pirates try and do dishonorable things to you."

"Don't worry. They won't ever do such a thing." Neo held back a frown. She wanted something dishonorable to happen to her. As long as Law was the one who was doing it. But she knew it wasn't possible. They would have to be married for that to happen. And with how things are, that would never ever happen.

With a sigh, Rini lead Neo out of the bedroom and downstairs. The earth elemental stood by her husband while Neo walked over to Penguin and Bepo. The rest of the pirates were already on the sub, waiting for them. She turned to the elementals and said, "Take care of yourselves. And know that after I take care of things on Luminous you are always welcome to come home."

"Thank you, P-Neo." Jaq nodded. "Take care."

"You too." Neo waved then left with her friends. Luckily she was able to convince the elementals to stay home. It really wasn't necessary for them to follow her out to the harbor. With the snow crunching under her boots and the brisk wind nipping at her skin, she thought about the captain.

"Something on your mind?" Bepo asked.

"No, not really," Neo said.

"You're really not good at lying," Penguin said. "Just tell us."

Neo sighed. "I thought things were getting better between the captain and myself. But these past couple of days he's turn so cold towards me."

"I noticed that," Penguin said.

"I think we all did," Bepo added.

"Try not to worry about it," Penguin said. "I'm sure whatever's bothering the captain will blow over soon enough."

Neo nodded despite not believing it. All too soon the sub came into view. A few members of the crew were scattered on the deck. Law wasn't one of them. They climbed up the ladder and entered into the sub. She scanned for the captain as she made her way down to her and Kailen's room. He was nowhere in sight. Once inside she walked over to the closet to put away her clothes. Rini had insisted on washing them for her. While she didn't want her to, she allowed it. Standing at her closet she stared into it, her mind running over what she might have done to aggravate the captain. Nothing came to mind.

"Something about your closet bothering you?" Kailen asked.

"Very funny." Neo closed it and turned to her brother. "I was just lost in thought. That's all."

"About the captain?"  
"Yes, but I'm over it," Neo said. "If he wants to be a cold hearted jerk then that's his problem. I'm done playing games with him."

"Sure you are." Kailen smirked.

"Did you want something?" Neo crossed her arms.

"No, just making sure you got back. We're about to leave," Kailen said.

Neo rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm here, as you can see. And I'm so ready to finally find Godfather. How much longer before we get to Sabaody?"

"A few more months according to the crew," Kailen said.

"Wonderful," Neo said. "I wonder if the dark elementals will be there."

"What do you mean?" Kailen asked.

"Surely some of them remember that a friend of Godfather currently lives there. Or lived there. He better still be there," Neo said. "What if they set up an ambush?"

"I doubt they will do that," Kailen said.

"Why? They're after me," Neo said.

"True." Kailen nodded. "But I doubt the darkness crystal and Atlas wants our people to be found out by the humans. Sabaody is right next to an army base. And there's going to be a lot of pirates there. There's no way for them to keep their abilities hidden. If they are going to attack they'd most likely attack us while we're out on the ocean."

"You have a point." Neo sighed. "I really hope Rayleigh can help us." She stretched her body. "Well, I think I'm going to go read for a while before starting lunch."

Neo passed by her brother, pausing to kiss his cheek before leaving the room. On her way down the hall she came across Law. Upon seeing him she cut off her rapid heartbeat and placed a stern look on her face. As he passed by her she refused to look at him. She just kept her eyes straight ahead of her and entered into the rec. room. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Grabbing a book off the shelf she sat down on the couch and allowed herself to get long in a world of fantasy.

…

Neo closed her book. Standing up she stretched out her stiff body before putting the book up. She turned to leave for the galley but paused as a storm rolled in fast on them. "Well, I guess I was really into that book. I didn't even notice a storm was coming."

Neo left the room. Her eyebrows drew together upon feeling the intensity in the storm. It was an oddly strong one. For a second she thought it might be the dark elementals. Pausing in the hall, she closed her eyes and tried to search out for any elementals that might be near. She felt nothing. All she could find was the storm and a very upset sea king snake swimming around below the sub. "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

A loud boom of thunder managed to penetrate the sub's thick walls. It was followed by a hard thump that threw Neo into the wall. The sea king snake had hit the sub. Sirens blared inside the sub. Red lights flashed as the crew started running around the halls, shouting out orders of some kind. She couldn't hear them over the sirens.

Then Archer's voice came over the voice pipes. "Hey! We have a sea king attacking the sub! And a massive storm is upon us! Get to your posts immediately!"

Pushing herself along the wall, as waves rocked them, she managed to get to the stairs. Penguin came up then. "Penguin."

"Are you okay?" Penguin rushed to her side.

"I'm okay." Neo rubbed her sore shoulder. "I just got a bump when the sub rocked."

"You should get back to the rec. room," Penguin said. "You'll be safer there if you stay on the couch."

"I'm not going to do that," Neo said. "I have to get outside and try to calm the sea king snake down."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Penguin said. "But I know that I can't stop you."

Neo smiled. With him staying by her side they worked their way up to the deck. Reaching the main floor they found Kailen was already heading outside. "Kai!"

"I know. The sea king is extremely angry," Kailen said.

"What do you think upset it?" Penguin asked.

"Hard to say without talking to it," Kailen said.

"Then we better get to it," Neo said. "This storm is bad enough. We don't need it and the sea king trying to sink the sub."

The group headed outside. There Law was already battling with the giant snake.

"Captain!" Penguin called out. "Neo and Kailen are here to talk to the sea king!"

"You two shouldn't be outside!" Law said before slicing at the snake.

"Says the one who's more susceptible to nature," Neo said. She moved out farther onto the deck. The rain beat down on her, making it hard to see. "Hey! Sea king! Stop! We're not here to hurt you!"

The sea king roared.

"Neo! Get back inside!" Law said.

"I won't!" Neo snapped.

"Calm down!" Kailen said.

Neo wasn't sure if she was talking to her and the captain or the sea king. The snake slammed its tail against the sub.

"Crap! We have to get out of here! We need to dive!" Penguin said.

"We can't! We'll be more vulnerable to the sea king underwater!" Law said.

"But if we stay up here the storm is going to cause a lot of damage!" Penguin said just before a loud crack of thunder. They covered their ears until it passed. Lightning flashed several times. The wind howled, shoving the sub away from the sea king.

"Please! Just leave us alone!" Neo said.

The snake hissed.

"It's not working! Just go inside! I'll take care of it!" Law said.

"I won't! You're going to kill it!" Neo said.

"I don't have a choice! It's either it or us!" Law said. "And I chose us!"

"It doesn't have to be that way!" Neo said.

A giant wave slammed into the sub almost causing the vessel to tip completely over. Law lost his balance. His sword fell from his hand as his back hit the railing.

Neo watched. The world slowed down as Law tumbled over the side of the sub. Somewhere amongst the thunder she heard Penguin call out for his captain. She lunged forward. Her bare feet thumped on wet deck.

"Neo! What are you doing?!" Kailen called out for her.

But Neo didn't stop. She didn't even slow down. She continued running until her hands were on the railing. Pushing herself up onto it, she launched herself over the side. The chilly water rushed over her hot skin, plunging her into darkness. The salt stung her eyes as she looked around for Law. Her heart pounded in her chest, choking her. She had to find him fast. He was going to die if she didn't. Paddling her arms and legs she moved around. _Captain! Where are you?! Someone help! Please! Creatures of the sea! Help me find him!_

Tears came to her eyes. The salt from her tears mixed with the salt from the ocean. It made her eyes hurt worst. Still she looked. Swimming through the murky water, her lungs started to burn. The captain was nowhere in sight. Her heart ached. Surely he wasn't already dead. Then a dark figure came towards her. She knitted her eyebrows. Her heart jumped. It was the captain. And he was being pushed over to her by some large fish. She grabbed onto him. _Thank you! Thank you so much!_ Wasting no time she kicked her feet, pushing them to the surface. She gulped in air once they broke free of the ocean. A wave slammed into her. It pushed both of them down. Summoning a couple earth crystals, she lifted up some rocks from the sea. Placing them behind it, she held on to it with one hand while holding as tight as she could onto the captain. "Captain?"

He didn't move. His head just rolled onto her shoulder. Blood dripped down his skin. He was hurt.

Neo looked around. The sub was nowhere in sight. "Just great. The storm must have pushed them away from us. Hopefully they'll get the sub submerged and come back for us." She looked around. "But first we need to get out of the ocean. Without my crystals we both have a high chance of drowning."

Panic settled into her chest. There was nothing in sight. She closed her eyes. There had to be something she could do to keep them safe. She wasn't sure if she would be able to create a strong enough rock formation to keep them save from this storm. Thunder boomed overhead. Lightning flashed rapidly. They had to get out of the water. Tears leaked over her eyes. She pressed her cheek to the captain's hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The water shifted. Neo lifted from the captain to find a water crystal hovering in front of her. Another one appeared, then another one. Hope built up in her chest. Using her water crystals she shifted the ocean around them so their area was calmer than the rest of the water. Next she used her earth crystals to call up more rocks from the ocean. One rock came up right below him. She gasped when the captain's heavy body slummed onto hers. Shifting carefully, she laid him down on the ground- his hat fell off - the rock shielding them from the rain. She looked him over. He was still bleeding but it didn't look as bad as she first thought. Still, she ripped her shirttail off and tried to clean the cut on his forehead as best she could. Then she cursed herself. She had forgotten to check if he was breathing. She placed her finger under his nose. Nothing. "No! Captain! What do I do?! What do I do?! Think! Think! Come on!" It came to her. "Right!"

Neo pinched his nose then pressed her mouth to breath into him. Placing her hands on his chest, she started pumping. But it was clear she wasn't physically strong enough to do it right. So she went back to breathing into his mouth in hopes it would be enough. She checked his breath again. Nothing. She breathed into him. Again and again she switched back and forth between checking if he was breathing to forcing her own breath into him. She stopped. Still nothing. Tears leaked over her eyelids. "No…you can't…you can't die like this. Please…Law…you have to stay with her. Law!" Crossing her arms over his chest, she buried her face into him. "I'm sorry! If I didn't lose the use of my crystals." She shot up. "That's it!"

Neo summoned a water crystal over his mouth. Carefully, she sensed out the water inside of his lungs and pulled it out. He coughed. "Captain?" He coughed again. "Law! Please! Open your eyes!"

Law's eyelashes fluttered open.

"You're alive." She smiled, tears pouring down her cheeks. "You're alive!"

Law lifted his hand, cupping her cheek. He brushed away some of her tears. "I'm sorry. I worried you."

"You idiot." Neo placed her hand over his. "Don't ever do something like that again."

Law sat up.

"Careful," Neo said. "You hit your head when you fell in."

"I noticed." Law wiped the blood from his skin.

"How are you feeling? Uh, the signs of a concussion are…"

"I don't have a concussion," Law said.

"Are you sure?" Neo's eyes when to the cut on his forehead. It was already turning a colorful black and purple. She winced.

"I am a doctor," Law said.

"I know," Neo said. "I was just scared. When you went overboard I thought that you were going to…die." Her body shivered. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and hide it from him. Though she wasn't sure if it was working. He continued to look at her, study her.

"Why did you jump into the water? You could have died," Law said.

"Says the one with the devil fruit powers." Neo frowned. "How could I not have jumped in? Even though I did panic and reacted without thinking. There's no way I was going to let you drown. I'm the only one who could save you."

"The crew would have. They have a plan in case this happens. They would take the sub underwater and lift me back up to the surface," Law said.

"I don't care!" Neo snapped. "Your life was in danger! I had to act! Besides, I got my water crystals back!"

"You did?" Law blinked.

"I did." Neo nodded. "It was how I got the water from your lungs. I didn't have enough strength to pump your chest." She sighed. "And I'm glad. If I remember correctly you have to break a person's ribs to do it properly."

"That's correct." Law nodded.

They fell silent. The storm raged around them, water splashed upon their rock. "So what now? I don't think I can safely swim us back to the sub."

"You're not doing something so stupid in this storm." Law stood up. His eyes scanned out at the rain beating down on the ocean.

"Stupid? Stays the one who went out on the deck in this mess," Neo grumbled.

"I did that to save the crew and sub. If I hadn't the sea king would have ripped us to shreds," Law said.

"It would not have." Neo stood up. "It's not normal for sea kings to attack like that in storms. Something else set it off. If you had just given me a minute to speak with it-"

"No." Law cut her off. "You were clearly not having an effect on it at all."

"You didn't give me a chance!" Neo snapped.

"I'm not going to argue with you!" Law turned to face her.

"Well, tough! We're already fighting!" Neo crossed her arms. "Why are you being such a jerk?!"

"I'm always a jerk according to you," Law said.

"You were. Then you weren't. And now you are again," Neo said. "What did I ever do to you? _You_ were the one who brought my brother and me onto _your_ sub! Are you still upset about us not giving you what you want?! Is that it?!"

Law turned his back to her.

"Don't you dare ignore me! I'm tired of you giving me the cold shoulder!" Thunder boomed overhead, almost reflecting her anger. She wasn't sure if it was actually doing that or not. With only her water and earth crystals she didn't know how much effect her magic would have on the storm. And at the moment, she didn't care. She wanted answers. And she wanted them now. "Talk to me, Law!"

Law twitched.

"It's beyond obvious that something is happening between us! I can't keep going back and forth like we are!" Neo screamed. "Either we mean something to each other or we don't! We've kissed! If there's nothing between us then tell me right now."

Law didn't move. He didn't speak.

"Fine. Then we're nothing. From this point on I'll-" Before Neo could finish Law was in front of her. His arms gripped her arms, pushing her back against the wall before his lips fell upon hers. Her heart slammed against her chest. He slipped his touch between her lips, tasting her like a man who hadn't had a drink in days. Knees trembling, her hands lifted up and clenched the sides of his hoodie. Her lungs burned. As if sensing she needed to breath, Law trailed kisses away from her lips, across her cheek, and down to her neck. His teeth pressed into her skin, right onto a soft spot. She gasped, arching into him, begging for more. He gladly gave her what she wanted for several more minutes. Then he stopped. Pulling back his breath fanned over her marked skin. "C-Captain."

Law lifted up, bringing his lips to hers. "No. Say my name."

Neo swallowed.

"You said it before. Now say it again," Law whispered. "I want to hear my name on your lips."

Neo breathed in before letting his name roll off her tongue. "Law…"

Pressing his forehead to hers, he sighed.

"I…I don't understand," Neo said. "You've been so cold since…"

"I know," Law said. "And I am sorry. You have no idea what you do to me."

Neo flushed when she felt something poking her below.

"That's what you do. You make me think about things that I never had any interest in before." Law bit down on her neck. "There's so much I would love to do to you. Some of those things I know you're not ready for. Still, I see you in my bed, in my tub, in my shower. All the time being with me and no one else. But I know I can't touch you like that or really see you like that. I know you are only sailing with us for a while. That's why I tried to push you away. I don't want to hurt you. Unfortunately, I seem to have done that anyway."

Neo sighed. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her. Everything he said was the same thing she wanted. She wanted to be with him but knew she couldn't. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know," Law mumbled against her skin before licking it. "All I know is I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"Then don't ignore me," Neo whispered. "Please. Don't do that again."

"I won't." Law nodded. The storm above started to fade.

"Good." Tugging on his hair, she lifted him up and pressed her lips back to his. Her hands roamed his sides, stomach, and chest. She wanted to learn everything about his body, every muscle, every curve, and every spot where she could make him tense. And she reached one of those spots just below his ribs. He jumped when she touched him there. She smiled when he growled at her. With her knees growing weak, they slid down the rock until they reached the ground. Law laid half on top of her, their lips never losing contact. His hands wandered her body, slipping underneath her shirt. Neo panicked a bit upon remembering she didn't know how to kiss. It made her hesitate and slip her tongue too far into his mouth.

"Easy now." Law pulled back from her. "Just relax. There's no need to be nervous."

"I can't help it. This is the first time I've…" She adverted her eyes from his.

"So I'm your first." Law smiled.

Neo, cheeks burning red, nodded.

"That's okay. Everyone has to learn at some point," Law said before nipping her neck. "And I'll be more than glad to help you learn it."

Neo turned her eyes back to him when he looked down at her. Her eyes drew to an old scar on his forehead. She touched it. "You have quite a few scars."

"Yeah."

"Where did this one come from?"

Law chuckled. "We're in the middle of something and you want to talk about scars?"

"Sorry. I just thought that we're probably about to go too far," Neo said.

Law's eyebrows rose before he noticed his hand was up her shirt. He pulled away. "Sorry. You might be right."

Neo sat up and leaned against the rock. "So where did you get it?"

"Corazon gave it to me," Law said.

"Corazon?" Neo asked.

"He was the man who saved me. He gave me back my heart." Law sat beside her. "Back when I was sick, I joined Doflamingo's crew. Currently, he's a warlord. And he's very powerful. At the time I didn't really care. I was just so angry with everyone and everything that I just wanted to kill as many people as I could. Doflamingo took me in. Then, when Cora walked into the room he grabbed me and threw me out a window into a pile of junk."

"A man actually did that to a child?! What's wrong with him?!" Neo gasped.

"I didn't know it at the time, but it was only an act," Law said. "While Cora was Doflamingo's little brother, he was working undercover for the navy. He picked on us kids in hopes to make us runaway from that life. I didn't. And neither did two others, Baby 5 and Buffalo. Over time I can to learn the truth about Cora when I revealed my real name to Baby 5 and Buffalo."

"Your real name?" Neo asked.

"Trafalgar D. Water Law," Law said. "I belong to a family of D. It's a long story. One I'm not sure I want to you know, at least at this point in time."

Neo nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Anyway, Cora over hear that and told me I needed to get away from Doflamingo," Law said. "Well, I had no intention of doing that. But Cora did. He took me away from Doflamingo in hopes to find a cure for the disease I had then. He took me to so many hospitals. He fought anyone and everyone who called me a monster. Eventually, he learned of the Op Op devil fruit. We went for it. He got it. I ate it. Then the worse happened. Doflamingo found us. And he ended up killing Cora because of his betrayal."

"That's terrible." Neo hugged her needs to her chest. Law had gone through more than she had thought in his life. She didn't make anything easier for him.

"Cora had shoved me in a chest and used his own devil fruit powers. His powers allowed him to silence things. Doflamingo never knew I was there," Law said. "I managed to escape. Over the next few days I came across Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. And well, we started the Heart Pirates."

"I'm sorry." Tear stung Neo's eyes. "That must have been so hard on you."

"It was. But it also made me stronger," Law said. "And because of what Cora did…I'm going to take Doflamingo down."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Neo asked.

"Of course it is. But I won't allow him to live for what he did to Cora," Law said. "I will kill him."

Neo dropped her eyes down to the rock. Her mind swirled with this information. Law had just told her he was on a suicide mission. How strong were the warlords? She tried to remember what her godfather told her about them. She couldn't remember. Her mind was filled with concern over Law and his death march.

"Don't worry about me," Law said, pulling her attention back to her. "You won't be here when I go after him."

Neo flinched.

"And I prefer it that way," Law said.

"Why?"

"I don't want him to hurt you. I don't want him to even know you exist." Law gripped his fists. "Doflamingo also has a devil fruit power. He uses strings. They can cut through almost anything. And he can control people with it. If he ever got ahold of you…I wouldn't be able to handle it. So no matter what happens between now and the time I go after him, you're going to be back on your island."

"No," Neo said. "I can't just leave knowing what you're planning. I won't do it!"

"You don't have a choice. Doflamingo is my problem not yours." Law looked at her. "It's best for you to be safe."

"No!" Neo shook her head. "I won't do it! I can stay with you! And I will!"

Law smiled, cupping her cheek. "No. We both know that's not true."

Neo flinched. She would stay on Luminous once they returned there. But she didn't have to. Right? Once the darkness crystal is purified there's no real reason for her to stay. She could do what she wanted. Besides she really didn't want to stay where her parents were murdered. "I don't…have to stay on Luminous."

"Jaq said other wise."

Neo's heart jumped. "What did he tell you?"

"Nothing much. But the words he used made me realize that you belong back there," Law said.

"You're wrong. I don't want to go back home. My parents were murdered there. How can I ever look at Luminous the same way again?" Neo asked.

"I don't know," Law admitted. "I have a hard time thinking about my own home."

"So we're basically at a stalemate now," Neo said.

"I guess." Law shrugged.

Neo laid her head on his shoulder. "Just don't push me away again."

"I won't." Law leaned against her. "I promise."

"So when do you think the crew will get here?" Neo asked.

"Probably soon."

"What should we do until then?"  
"This." Law tilted her head towards him. Once more he captured her lips with his.

Neo melted into him. She glided her hand over his shoulder as his slipped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Captain!" All too soon the frantic cry of Bepo broke them apart.

"They found us," Neo said.

"Yeah." Law nodded.

"We should go," Neo said.

Law kissed her again before finally standing up.

Neo followed him. They walked over to the edge of the rock. The storm had completely vanished. The sun was now beating down on them, drying their skin.

"Captain!" Bepo cried just as the sun came into view.

"Hey!" Shachi called out. "There you are!"

"Neo!" Kailen screamed. "Are you two okay?!"

"We're fine!" Neo waved back. Once the sub was close enough, she used her water crystals to lift them over to the sub. She placed them down on the deck.

"Neo, you got your water crystals back," Kailen said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded.

"Captain!" Bepo engulfed Law in a hug. "We were so worried about you!"

Neo smiled. Law was barely visible now.

"Neo." Penguin dropped down in front of her. He pulled her into a hug. "I was so worried! You about gave me a heart attack jumping into the ocean like that!"

"I'm sorry. I just reacted without thinking," Neo said.

"Just don't ever do that again." Penguin pulled back from her.

"I'll try not to." Neo smiled.

"Let's get back inside. We need to get cleaned up," Law said, now free of Bepo's hug.

Neo nodded. "You take a shower first."

"I don't have to," Law said.

"The ocean effects your powers," Neo said. "You need to get cleaned up. I can wait. I'm use to smelling like the ocean anyway." She crossed her arms. "And I'll hear no arguing on the subject."

Law chuckled. "Fine. But only because I'm a devil fruit user. And the water doesn't effect me now. There's not enough of it on me."

"I don't care." Neo pointed to the door. "Get to it, bud."

Shaking his head with a smile, Law headed inside.

"I take it you two are on speaking terms again," Shachi said.

"Uh, yeah." Neo nodded, though she wasn't sure if she should reveal what actually happened out there. "We are."

"Good," Archer said. "I don't think I could take the chill anymore."

The crew headed inside. Neo went down to her and Kailen's room with him followed. Too tired to stand, she sat down on the floor and waited for her turn to use the shower.

Kailen plopped down on his bed. A frown was on his lips.

"I know. You're upset with me for jumping in like that," Neo said.

"How could I not be?" Kailen said. "It was far too risky. You both could have drowned out there."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I just couldn't let him die," Neo said.

"You really do love him," Kailen said.

Neo nodded. "I do. And it'll be okay. We'll figure things out when the time comes."

"Just take it slow," Kailen said.

"We will," Neo said.

Fifteen minutes later a knock came on their door. Kailen opened it to reveal Conner. "Captain's out of his shower. You can use it now."

"Thanks." Neo grabbed her clothes and left the room. Reaching the captain's quarters she found the door part way open. Still, she knocked on it as she stepped inside. Her body jerked to a pause. Law was standing at his closet, shirt free. "Must…must you do that?"

"Do what?" Law smirked and walked over to her. He pinned her again the wall, closing this door. "This is my room after all. If I want to go shirtless I will."

Neo's eyes locked onto his chest for several seconds before her eyes wandered lower. Heat rushed to her face when she reached the V in his hips. His jeans were undone, revealing his black boxers to her. Blood flooded her head. She hoped she didn't get a nosebleed.

Law chuckled and pulled away from her. "You better shower and get out of those wet close."

Neo nodded before forcing her feet to carry her into the bathroom. She closed the door, stripped, and crawled into the shower. As she went through her routine, her mind kept drifting over to the door and to Law. She wanted him to come in with her but knew it wouldn't happen. Despite what happened out in the storm Law wasn't the type of guy to violate her. And she couldn't do any more than kissing him either. She had to be careful. She had to keep her body under control; at least until the darkness crystal was purified. Still, she knew she had to be married before sex or lose a lot of her magic. Finishing with her shower she stepped out, dried off, dressed, and left the room. She found Law sitting at his deck, watching, and waiting for her to come out. "Well, thanks for the shower. It felt great."

"It would have been better if I was in there with you." Law smirked.

"Oh, shut up!" Heat rose on her cheeks.

"It's not like you weren't thinking the same thing," Law said. "As I've said before, you're easy to read."

"Well, I can't help it." Neo stomped to the door. "It's not my fault you're as sexy as can be!" The door vanished. Next thing she knew she was sitting in Law's lap. "Well, I guess that bump on your head is fine."

"It is." Law tilted her chin up and kissed her.

Neo gladly kissed him back. She followed his lead, trying her best to mimic what he was showing her. Several minutes passed before they parted for air. She drew in several breaths as Law worked his skilled lips and tongue over her neck. With a hum of delight, she arched into him, wanting more of him and his delicious body. Then a thought hit her. "Wait."

Law pulled back. "What is it?"

"What about the crew?"

"What about them?" Law cocked his head.

"Are we going to be open about this?" Neo asked.

"We don't have to be," Law said. "Though it's probably safe to assume most of the crew, if not all of them, knew this would happen."

"I suppose you're right," Neo said. "Though I kind feel odd about letting them know." She looked at him shyly. "Is that wrong?"

"Not at all. A lot of people want to keep their first love a secret," Law said.

"Really?" Neo lifted an eyebrow. "I don't remember my friends being like that at all."

"I'm sure there were some people on your island who did that," Law said.

Neo hummed.

"Anyway, we don't have to tell the crew anything right now." Law cupped her cheek and pecked her lips. "I kind of like the idea of keeping this a secret. I don't want to share you with anyone."

Neo smiled. Her heart fluttered. "Then how about we just see how things work out?"

Law nodded before pulling her back into another kiss.


	23. Sabaody

Sabaody

Neo ran her fingers through Law's hair as his trailed over her back and her stomach. His lips trailed down to her neck as she arched into him. A soft moan escaped her when he nibbled on her soft spot before working his was back up her neck. Their lips locked in another heated kiss before a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Yes?" Law called pulling away from her just long enough to answer.

"Captain, we're approaching Sabaody," Conner said from the other side of the door.

"All right," Law said between kisses. "Prepare the sub to dock. Try to find a place away from people."

"Aye, Captain," Conner said.

"So we finally arrived," Neo said with a sigh while pressing their foreheads together.

Law nodded.

"Well, I guess I better straighten myself up," Neo said. "Kai will be wondering where I've been."

Law smirked at her. "I think he knows exactly where you've been."

"Yeah, I don't know why I said that," Neo said. "The majority of the crew has figured us out." She shrugged, got off his lap, and headed for the bathroom. "All well."

"Have you thought about how you're going to find your godfather's friend?" Law walked over and leaned against the doorframe.

"Not really," Neo said. Running her fingers through her hair she tried to figure out the best way to find Rayleigh. She knew he was retired. And he was famous. But how many people here would know who he is? When was his picture last taken? Did he still look like it? Pirates surely would know what he used to look like and probably still do, but that didn't mean they'd know where he was living or if he was even on the island. "I guess we'll just have to ask around. Someone has to know him."

"And you won't tell me his name?" Law asked.

"You'd have a heart attack if I did." Neo smiled at him before looking back at her reflection.

"Not hardly," Law said.

Neo shrugged. With her hair back in place she walked over to Law. "What if he was and still is a famous pirate?"

"Just tell me." Law squeezed her hip, pulling her closer. "You're not going to be on your own anyway. So we're going to find out one way or another."

"Fine." Neo sighed. "We're looking for Rayleigh."

Law's eyebrows twitched, his body became stiff. "You don't mean Dark King Silvers Rayleigh, do you?"

"That's him." Neo nodded. "Godfather met him when he was a younger pirate. He's someone Godfather trusts completely. He'll know about my people and me. Hopefully he'll know where Godfather is." She studied his tense expression. "Are you upset?"

"No," Law drawled. "I'm just a bit shocked. I guess."

Neo bit her cheek. If this shocked him then wait until he found out who her Godfather was. She thought about telling him that now, but couldn't get the words to come out of her mouth. "Well, we better get up to the deck."

"You go ahead," Law said.

Neo nodded and left the room. The crew was gathered around at different places in the sub chattering about what Sabaody was going to be like as she made her way upstairs. Soon the stuffiness of the sub gave way to the salty air. She stepped outside and was greeted by large striped trees she had never seen before. "Amazing! What kind of trees are those? I haven't seen them on previous islands."

"Mangroves," Bepo said. "This place isn't an actual island. The people and towns here live on the roots of these trees."

"They're incredible," Kailen said as he walked out of the sub. "And their roots even go into the ocean. Pretty far from the feel of it."

"So this is the place pirates go to enter into the New World," Neo said. "But if this place isn't an island it doesn't have a log. So how did we get here?"

"This place might not be able to be found using a eternal pose but Fishman Island can be. Its one of two ways to get to the New World," Bepo said. "You can go across, above water, but you need the Celestial Dragons' permission to cross their land and you'll have to leave your ship behind."

"Pirates actually do that?" Neo asked.

"Not many do," Bepo said. "Besides there's another way. And that's by going underwater towards Fishman Island."

"But ships can't go underwater," Neo said. "How do they do it?"

"They can if they get their ship coated." Shachi walked out with a few other pirates following him. "The coating puts a bubble around the ships so they can go underwater. But the bubbles can also be popped. So it can be fairly dangerous."

"I'm so glad we have a sub," Penguin said. "No worries about it going pop."

"Are you all going to the New World now?" Neo's nerves fluttered. It wasn't something she thought much about since they were nowhere near the New World. But now that they were standing at the doorway to that harsh place it was all too real. The Heart Pirates were getting closer and closer into going there. Of course they were. That was the destination of all the pirates. It was where the One Piece was hidden. She swallowed, hard. Her godfather told her so much about that place. She didn't want the crew to go. Seeing what they could do she was sure they weren't strong enough to handle the New World yet. They were nowhere near measuring up to her godfather's crew.

"Not yet," Law said stepping outside.

Neo exhaled, her nerves vanished. She eyed his posture. Like always he was calm and collection. One hand holding his sword while the other was in the pocket of his jeans.

"For now we're going to see what this place holds," Law said.

Neo turned her attention back to the trees. The sub glided up along them until Archer slowed it to a stop. Looking over the side she saw he picked a good spot to dock. There was a piece of root jutted out from the rest, give a small platform for them to descend to. When everyone had gathered onto the deck Law gave the order to go ashore. They all climbed down the ladder and made their way up to root.

Neo gasped when they reached the top of the roots. Bubbles were coming up out of the ground. "Amazing. This place is creating bubbles." Squatting down she pressed her hand onto the ground. "It's sticky." Curiosity filled her when she pressed her hand onto a bubble and it didn't pop. With a giggle she stepped up onto the bubble.

"What do you think you're doing?" Law asked.

"Being curious," Neo said as she rose higher and higher into the air.

"Neo." Kailen shook his head.

"She's like a curious kitten at times," Shachi said.

"A cute kitten." Penguin smiled.

"Annoying one," Conner said.

"Just shut up," Archer said.

Conner glared at him.

"Will you get back down here?" Law said. "We don't have time for this."

Neo ignored him. Turning her eyes up towards the sky, she watched the other bubbles rising above her. Then she noticed they started popping. "Uh oh. That can't be good." Summoning an earth crystal she threaded out a vine and slid down it.

"I didn't expect you to obey," Law said.

"I wasn't going to." Neo smirked. "But I noticed the bubbles started to pop when they got above the trees. I figured I should come down before the one I was one popped."

"That would have been a hard fall," Bepo said.

"Not at all," Neo said. "I still have my crystals to use." She gave Law a sneaky grin. "Besides, your lovely captain wouldn't have let me hit the ground."

"Don't be so sure of that." Law smirked.

"You wouldn't." Neo stuck her tongue out at him. "We all know it."

"All right, you two." Kailen placed his hands on their shoulders and pushed them into the forest. "We're not going to sit here and debate who would or wouldn't do what."

"It's not a debate. It's the truth!" Neo said. The crew chuckled. Walking along they all glanced over the large trees. "I wonder if we can grow some of these on Luminous."

"It's possible," Kailen said. "But they most likely wouldn't thrive back home without a lot of attention."

Neo hummed. Their people was good at attending to nature but she couldn't see anyone spending tons of time to make sure a tree would grow if it wasn't in its natural habitat. Still the trees were nice. Before long they finally came upon a town bustling with people.

"Hey, here's some maps of this place," Archer said grabbing a couple off the stand. "Here, Neo. You should hold onto one."

Neo took the map from him and looked at it with Kailen glancing over her shoulder. Her eyebrows knitted as she tried to trace the size of the _island_ in her mind. Apparently this place was rather huge, bigger than she had first thought. There were several clusters where someone could be. She had no idea how they were going to find Rayleigh. The Sabaody Archipelago felt like multiple _islands_ knitted together just to confuse people. There was a lawless area, a shopping district, the area where the navy headquarters would be, an amusement park, and a couple other areas. She sighed. Perhaps Rayleigh lived in the lawless area. It would make sense since he was a pirate.

Still, as the crew scattered to do whatever they felt like, she and Kailen looked around for people who might know where the old man was. They didn't have any luck despite having the crew there to help them, after they got over the shock of knowing such a famous pirate. No one knew where Rayleigh was or if they did they weren't telling. After a couple hours of searching her group sat down at a restaurant to eat. She slumped onto the table. "Why does this have to be so difficult?"

"We'll fine him." Kailen gave her an encouraging smile.

Neo wanted to smile back but was unable to.

"I still find it difficult to process that your godfather knows the Dark King," Shachi said.

"I hope he doesn't hurt us," Bepo said.

"Shut up," Penguin said. "He has no reason to do so."

"I'm sorry." Bepo hung his head.

"Don't worry." Neo patted his head. "He won't hurt you. He's retired now."

The waiter came over. As everyone was giving him their orders Law leaned closer to Neo. "At least we get more time together."

Neo smiled. That was a huge plus from not finding Rayleigh right away. Her smile grew as his hand slipped over hers. She turned her hand over so his fingers laced through hers. They gave their own orders to the waiter then waited for it to arrive. "So what are we going to do now?"

"After we eat I want to see who's all here," Law said. "I need to know who's going to be our competition in the New World. Those who survived the Grand Line might already be here or might be arriving soon."

Neo's hand trembled under his. Anyone who survived the Grand Line would be tough pirates. And they were all gathering here to go to the New World. He gave her a concerned look but she smiled and forced her hand to stop trembling. She reminded herself that there was no need to worry. Just because they were here, or coming here, it didn't mean they were going to fight.

Thankfully she didn't have to worry or wait long before their food was delivered. The waiter set their plates down and walked off. She breathed in the garlic from her spaghetti before picking up her fork. They all dug into their food, occasionally making a remark about something. She ate a little over half of her spaghetti before pushing the plate away from her with a groan. Her stomach was tight with food. "If I had known they gave so much spaghetti I would have order something else."

"No problem." Shachi reached across the table for her plate. "I'll finish it for you."

"Glad to know I have help eating things," Neo said.

"You're such a pig," Penguin said.

"I am not. I'm just not wasting food," Shachi said around his mouthful of spaghetti.

"Sure." Penguin rolled his eyes.

Leaving the scraping of silverware and clanking of dishes, the group got up from their table and stepped outside. They followed Law once again. Neo scanned her eyes around in hopes to get a glimpse of Rayleigh and to watch and see how many people noticed her and Kailen's differences. Several people looked in their direction, curiously inspecting the elementals. One guy stared for far to long. A hide of lust appeared in his eyes, making her shiver. Kailen stepped between him and Neo. "Thanks, Kai."

"No problem." Kailen nodded.

Law glanced back at them.

Neo smiled to let him know she was fine. A few more minutes of walking went by before Law sat down on a crate. The rest of them stood behind the captain. Neo stood more to his side, her eyes still carefully surveying their surroundings. Before long a fight broke out amongst some pirates. One was a large man with wings and the other was a masked man with long, spikey blonde hair. They were about to clash with their weapons when another man, with a scar on his chin, jumped into the way and stopped them.

"Hey, it's some of the other supernovas," Shachi said.

"Supernovas?" Kailen said. "Aren't those the rookie pirates that are causing a lot of trouble in the Grand Line?"  
"That's them," Bepo said with a nod. "That's Killer from the Kid Pirates. The one who was fighting him is Urouge, captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates. The one who broke up the fight is X Drake, captain of the Drake Pirates."

"They're insane." Neo stepped closer to Law. Without all of her crystals she felt extremely exposed with all these strong pirates around. "This whole place is insane."

The man called Drake walked their way.

Neo looked at him, making eye contact. Her body stiffened. His gaze was easy to read. He could tell something was different about her. She held her ground, keeping her chin high in hopes he would move on without saying anything.

"Man, just when it was getting good," Law said. "Tell me, Drake. How many people have you killed?"

"Trafalgar," Drake said looking away from Neo. "I should have known you would be here. You've made quite a name for yourself, Surgeon of Death."

Law smirked.

"Though I didn't know you were the type to have a woman on your crew." Drake's eyes bounced between Neo and Kailen. "She and the green haired one are quite interesting."

"They're not different from anyone else," Law said. "So just walk on."

Neo swallowed. Drake's intense gaze made it very clear he didn't believe Law's words. Her body coiled tighter. She wondered if they were going to get into a fight right here and now. But the pirate walked on without another glance at them. Neo knees wobbled. Her body sunk down to the crate Law was sitting on.

"You okay, Neo?" Penguin asked.

"I'm fine," Neo said. "I guess I just wasn't prepared for so many people noticing our differences."

"Let's get out of here then." Law stood up.

The group walked through the town for several minutes before deciding to rent a couple bubble bikes since they were going to head over to some other groves. That and Neo really wanted to ride on them. It didn't take long before Law caved and rented a couple. One was smaller than the other. Penguin and Shachi shared the smaller one while the others climbed upon the bigger one; Bepo sat in the driver seat while the rest sat on the back. The noises of the town soon left them as they floated through the serene forest.

"Wow!" Neo exclaimed upon seeing the colorful park. Screams from the people and rumbles from the rides broke the silence that surrounded them. "We have to go there! Luminous doesn't have anything like this! It's amazing!"

Law grunted in disapproval.

"Oh, come on, Law." Neo leaned into him, fluttering her eyelashes. "Please? I've never seen anything like this before. It'll be a real shame if I can't experience a place like this while we have the chance."

Law twitched. His cheeks tinted pink. The pirates and Kailen snickered at his predicament.

"She called the captain by his name and didn't even notice," Shachi said.

"Oops. Sorry." Neo flushed.

"Don't worry about it. We knew you two were a couple anyway. It was easy to figure out since Neo came out of the captain's room so much." Penguin smirked. "So no point in hiding it anymore."

"Well, so much for being discrete." Neo looked to Law. They had planned on going with the flow of things. "So?"

Law shrugged and slipped his hand into hers.

"I knew it!" Penguin said.

"Man, I figured they'd try to deny it for a while." Shachi sighed.

"I wonder how Godfather is going to react over this," Kailen said. "With how protective he is of you."

"Shut up." Neo's cheeks darkened. "He won't cause trouble."

"Uh huh." Kailen smiled.

"Let's get this over with." Law pulled Neo off the bubble bike and towards the park.

"You mean it?" Neo asked.

Law nodded.

Neo squealed and hugged him. "You're the best!"

"But only for a couple hours," Law said. "There's other stuff we need to do here."

"Okay!" Neo nodded. Her heart fluttered with joy. Her eyes dashed all over the rides, games, and snack stands. She didn't know what she wanted to do first. Since they were on a time limit she knew they would have to pick rides that had shorter lines. Then a ride with different types of animals going in a circle caught her eyes. "Oh, what's that?"

"It's called a Merry Go Round," Shachi said.

"Some people call it a carousal," Bepo added.

"You want to ride it?" Penguin asked.

"Yes!" Neo nodded then drug Law over to it. Waiting for a few minutes they climbed on. She picked a light green horse and climbed upon it. It started, playing music as they went around and around while her horse rose and fell slowly. "Wow! I didn't think it would be so much fun!"

Once that ride ended they hopped off and walked around for a couple minutes before Neo picked another ride. This time it was a roller coaster. Law wasn't thrilled about it but he went along, sitting with her in the very front of the cars. After that they rode a couple more rides before taking a break to east some snacks and play a few games. "That was amazing! The roller coaster felt like flying! Only less free."

"Come on," a woman said. "Can't you hit the stupid target at all?"

"Shut up," a man said before throwing a ball at some bottles. The ball flew past them, hit the back wall and bounced somewhere behind the stall.

The woman huffed and walked off.

"It's not my fault! These games are completely rigged!" The man stalked after her.

"Rigged?" Neo asked. "What did he mean?"

"Games like this are often rigged so people can't win the prizes without having to pay more money," Penguin said.

"That's just wrong." Neo frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would they do that?"

"That's just how it is." Penguin shrugged.

Neo glanced over at the man standing behind the stall. "If I had my wind crystals…"

"You're going to cheat?" Kailen asked.

"Well, no." Neo flushed. "I just meant that…it just mean for people to do that to others."

"Maybe so but it's their games," Kailen said. "So they can run it how they like."

"Too bad." Neo scanned her eyes over the toys until she spotted a large white bear. She pointed at it. "I'd like to win that one. It looks like Bepo."

"It sure does," Shachi said.

"I don't see it," Bepo said.

"You should win it for her, Captain," Penguin said.

"That's not necessary," Neo said.

Law walked up to the game and placed his money down.

"Really, Law." Neo grabbed his arm. "Don't waste your money like that."

"Don't worry. I'll win it for sure." Law tossed her a smile before picking up the first ball.

Neo watched. Sneakily, Law spread out his Room. The man at the stall didn't notice. He was just smiling greedily as Law threw the balls. His smile vanished when the bottles suddenly were sliced in half and littered to the ground.

"I'll take the white bear," Law said.

The man's jaw fell open. He pulled the bear off its hook and handed it over. "I don't understand. It shouldn't have been that easy."

"Here you go." Law handed Neo the bear. It was almost as big as she was.

"You're such a cheat!" Neo grinned and took the bear as they rushed away from the stall.

Law just smirked in return.

"But thank you for winning this for me," Neo said. "You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Law shrugged.

When they got back on their bubble bikes, Neo took off her shoes and stretched out her feet. "That was so much fun! But my feet hurt like crazy! I should have worn sandals instead."

"I take it that's the longest you've ever walked," Shachi said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Usually I fly for long distances."

"Well, we'll be sitting for a while once we get where we're going," Law said as they took off once more.

"Where are we going?" Neo asked.

"To an auction house," Law said.

"An auction house?" Neo tilted her head.

Law tensed. "It's a place where people buy other people."

"You have got to be kidding! Neo said squeezing her bear.

"That actually happens here?" Kailen asked looking around at the happy people.

"Yeah." Penguin nodded.

"Why are we going there?" Neo looked at Law with a pointed looks. "Don't tell me you're going to buy someone."

"No, I'm not," Law said. "We're just going to look around."

Neo frowned. She was not at all pleased to hear this.

"I'm sorry," Law said. "I should have warned you about this before hand."

Neo looked to the ground. Anger brewed inside of her. She really didn't want to go to a place like that. But if they did maybe she could free some of the _would be_ slaves. "Well, I'm not happy about this. But I guess it would be good for us to learn about this place."

Kailen gave her a skeptical look.

She shrugged.

The rest of the ride was a quiet one. They ended up coming across a few crewmates who were heading back to the sub. They offered to take the teddy bear back for Neo. She agreed. It was best. Lugging such a large toy around would be tiring. Thirty minutes later they pulled up to their destination. Neo twitched as she stared up at the auction house. Moss had grown over its walls and ceiling.

A heavy thickness was settled into the air around the building. This was a bad idea. She could feel it. Still she followed the pirates inside. They sat close to the back of the room, just a few rows down from the top of the stairs. Neo sat with Law and Penguin while the other three sat behind them. Rows and Rows of fancy dressed people sat in front of them. The stairs and chairs descended down to the large stage. Her eyes drifted to the smiley face on the back of the stage. It looked familiar. It looked like Law's jolly roger but there was a cancel sign over it. She looked at Law. "That smiley…"

"Doflamingo's," Law said, his hat hanging over his eyes.

Neo gulped. Turning back to the smiley, she wondered if Law had other intentions of coming here. The symbol must mean that Doflamingo owned this place. It made her wonder what Law would do while they were here. Was he going to destroy this place because Doflamingo owned it?

Minutes past before things got more intense. A couple Celestial Dragons had arrived in the auction house. Everyone stopped talking and turned away from them when they started down the stairs. Neo and Kailen followed the pirates' lead and ignored the Celestial Dragons. Once they passed them, Neo couldn't help but watch them until they sat down in their special chairs close to the stage.

Then the auction started, the crowd cheered. People were being paraded out onto the stage in chains, looked extremely miserable and scared, wearing explosive collars as Shachi told her. The idea of freeing them quickly vanished from her mind. She wanted to free them, not kill them. Her eyes were trained on the _slave_ standing on stage before she felt someone looking at her. Casting a glance over her shoulder she saw another pirate with spiked red hair standing at the back of the room with a few others. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Law. She jumped when he noticed her, her difference. She spun back around. "Friend of yours?"

"Rival. He's another supernova," Law said. "That's Captain Kid of the Kid Pirates."

"He looks beyond dangerous," Neo said. "And insane."

"Ignore him," Law said.

She did. She ignored everything behind them, even when a third Celestial Dragon walked in. All she wanted was this to be over. And to be back on the sub, surrounded by its familiar walls and security. It wasn't until now did she realize how comfortable she had become in the Polar Tang. Now it was a second home to her.

Little did she know it was about to get worse, a lot worse. One of the _slaves_ , a pirate captain, bit his tongue in hopes to get out of becoming a slave. The announcer was doing his best to cover it up with some bull story about the pirate being nervous and fainted. That's when he brought out a shocking surprise. The curtain was still pulled closed but a light lit up behind it, revealing a silhouette.

It was a mermaid. They were selling a real live mermaid. And one of the Celestial Dragons was very excited about it. Neo gripped the seat in front of her. All of the air vanished from her lungs as if someone had punched her. She never met a mermaid before. But she could sympathize with her. The light green haired mermaid was so scared as she looked out into the crowd. Neo wanted to so badly break the glass surrounding the mermaid and get her out of here. But she couldn't. The mermaid wore an explosive collar around her neck.

Neo watched for a few more seconds before closing her eyes tightly. Kailen's hand appeared on her shoulder. She knew he felt the same way. Both held their ground. That is they held it until a loud bang happened behind them. Everyone jumped and turned around to see what had happened. Dust and debris was everywhere. Neo's heart leaped into her throat when the dust cleared. She couldn't believe her eyes. Straw Hat Luffy was standing in the same room she was. The boy her godfather gave his hat too was here. Her lips parted to call for him, but he ran down the stairs, screaming the mermaid's name as he went.

A spikey haired octopus ran after him. Neo barely registered him as a sea creature before his extra, hidden, arms came out from his jacket. He grabbed onto Luffy. "Straw Hat! Stop it!"

"Eek! It's a fishman!" a woman screamed.

Neo looked around as the people started panicking. "What's happening? Why are they so afraid?"

"Humans often discriminate against fishmen and mermaids," Shachi said.

"What?" Neo gasped.

A shot rang out.

Neo turned to see the octopus falling down the stairs.

"Thank goodness someone shot it," a woman said.

"It could be carrying a disease," a man said.

Neo's body trembled. Her eyes filled with tears and anger. "No…" Blood leaked out of the fishman's body, staining his cloths and the floor as the people around them continued to be pleased that the fishman had been shot. Anger bubbled up in her chest at their words.

"I shot it! I got it! I got an octopus fishman!" the Celestial Dragon sang.

Neo growled and stood up.

"Calm down, Neo." Law grabbed her hand, pulling her back down to her chair. "You can't attack a Celestial Dragon. You'll be killed."

"I don't care," Neo said through gritted teeth. Thunder rumbled outside. "They have no right to treat him like that!"

"Neo, calm down," Kailen said placing his hands on her shoulders. "You can't reveal your crystals here. I know you want to help but you can't."

Neo growled again. Closing her eyes she focused on getting her emotions under control before it started storming, outside and inside the building. Opening her eyes she looked back to the fishman. Luffy was now kneeling beside him before he stood up and marched up the stairs towards the Celestial Dragon. Anger was clear in his eyes. No one could do anything. It happened too fast. Luffy got close to the Celestial Dragon. And punched him. The Celestial Dragon flew to the back of the room, crashing through some seats before resting in a pile of debris. There was a pause before the people in the room screamed and ran for the exits. She smiled despite knowing she shouldn't. If she could she would have clobbered the Celestial Dragon herself. "So what now?"

"We stay and see what happens," Law said. "You probably didn't notice but the navy has this place surrounded."

"What?" Neo asked. "Do they know we're here?"

"Of course they know," Law said. "But they're after someone else since they were here before we were."

"Someone else? Who?" Neo asked, but Law didn't answer as a fight broke out between the Straw Hats and the workers plus some guards. She stayed in her seat despite wanted to help the Straw Hats free their mermaid friend. The fight only lasted a few minutes before the back of the stage started to crumble, revealing a giant. A gasp escaped her. Below the giant was the one man who they were looking for. "Rayleigh!"

"You can't be serious! What is he doing here?!" Kailen said.

"We found him," Neo murmured. She held her ground for a second before she sprung up from her set and leaped over the chair in front of her.

"Neo!" Law called.

Neo felt his fingers brush against her shirt but she was out of his reach before he could stop her. She ran down the stairs, careful to not step on the injured fishman. Reaching the stage she leaped up on it and threw herself into Rayleigh's arms. "Rayleigh!"

"Hm? Do I know-" Rayleigh paused.

Neo looked up at him. "You know me. Or you know about me. Right?"

Rayleigh studied her before nodding. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"Long story short, the darkness crystal returned, our people were betrayed by a man we trusted, he killed our parents, and I lost the use of my crystals. Recently I got back my earth and water crystals. My brother and I have been searching for Godfather with the Heart Pirates," Neo summed up as quickly as she could. "Do you know where he is? We have to find him. Please!"

"I'm sorry, Princess. But, no, I don't." Rayleigh shook his head. "I have no idea where he is at the moment."

Neo sighed. "Figures."

"Don't worry, Princess. I'm sure you'll find him. But I have something I need to take care of here before things get too out of hand." Rayleigh looked around the room, assessing the mess before him.

Neo watched him address the mess the Straw Hats had got themselves in. He even revealed that he knew the fishman. She wasn't surprised at all when he used his haki then. Shanks had told her that Rayleigh was protective of his friends. The soldiers and workers from the auction house passed out. This left only the pirates and elementals on their feet.

Rayleigh looked at Luffy. "That straw hat suits a fearless man like yourself. I've wanted to meet you, Straw Hat Luffy."

Neo watched as Luffy placed his hand on his hat. Next thing she knew Rayleigh had the mermaid free of the explosive collar and his hand on her back while leading her up the stairs.

"Well, Dark King Silvers Rayleigh," Kid said. "You're a legend old man."

"I'm just Ray, the coating mechanic on this island. Don't go calling me that other name," Rayleigh said before kneeling down to the fishman. "Hachi, what have I told you about walking around on this archipelago?"

"I know. I'm sorry," Hachi said.

Neo looked at the fishman. He now wore bandages around his body, but he was still bleeding. If only she had her solar crystal. She could help heal him. When she looked up she noticed Law walking towards the door. "Law? Where are you going?"

"Outside to take care of the navy. Stay with the crew," Law said before disappearing down the hall.

Neo nodded and sighed. Figures they'd end up in a fight with the navy. Her eyes dropped back down to the fishman. She knelt down to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," he said.

Neo's eyes locked onto the bloody bandage around his chest. He needed more help.

"He'll be okay, Princess," Rayleigh said. "Don't worry."

Neo nodded, unsure if anyone heard him call her Princess.

"Who are you?" a small voice asked.

Neo lifted her eyes to the voice. She found herself staring at a little reindeer. His little blue nose was twitching, a clear sign that he smelled her scent of nature. Before he could ask why, she said, "You're cute."

"You're cute too!" He smiled. "I'm Chopper!"

Neo took his outstretched hoof. "I'm Neo."

"Neo? That's an interesting name," Chopper said scanning her face.

"Yeah." Neo shrugged. She wanted to answer the questions inside of his head but knew she couldn't.

"We should get ready to run," Rayleigh said. "We need to get out of here before the admiral arrives."

Chopper nodded and headed up the stairs.

"What about us?" Neo asked. "What should we do?"

"It's up to you," Rayleigh said. "You can stay with me if you want to. Or you can continue to sail with the pirates you're with."

"I don't know." Neo sighed.

"Well, you don't have to decide right now." Rayleigh pulled the fishman upon his back. "I'm going to head to Shaky's Bar over on grove thirteen. You can take time and think about it. When you want to find me again you can come there. If I'm not there Shaky will know where I went."

"All right." Neo then remembered the mermaid. Looking back to the stage she found the mermaid was now being carried by one of the Straw Hats. A huge amount of tension left her body. The mermaid was safe now. Standing up she followed Rayleigh up the stairs and rejoined her brother.

"Well?" Kailen asked.

"He doesn't know where Godfather is." Neo shook her head. "He did offer for us to stay with him."

"You're not going to, are you?" Penguin asked in alarm.

"I don't know what to do." Neo sighed.

"First, we need to get out of this mess," Shachi said before leading their group up the stairs. They stood off to the side, away from the Straw Hats.

"We should have asked Straw Hat if he knew anything," Kailen said.

Neo nodded, but doubted he did. Guns exploded outside, swords and spears lifted up from the floor and shot towards them. They dodged the sharp objects with ease. It was possible they were going to have to fight as well if they wanted to get out of this place alive. She braced herself for it.

"What?! Such a cutie!" someone shouted.

Neo looked up to find a strange faced, blonde haired young man looking at her, right at her. She had to bend backwards to keep his nose from touching hers. "Uh…"

"Never before have I seen such a blue haired beauty!" he said.

"Sanji!" Chopper screamed before whacking the blonde over the head. "Don't flirt with her like that!"

"I can't help it! She's so beautiful!" Sanji took her hand. "Tell me, my sweet. What is your name?"

"Uh, Neo," Neo said.

"Such a beautiful name for such a-" Sanji paused. His eyes locked onto hers.

"Well, that's nice of you to say." Neo pulled her hand away from him when she noticed her was noting her difference. "But I'm kind of involved with someone already."

"That's…fine," Sanji said pulling back.

"Just get back to your crew, Straw Hat," Penguin said.

Neo glanced at the guys. All of them wore looks of displeasure on their faces.

"Hey! Sanji! Let's go!"

"Coming, Nami!" Sanji ran away from them.

"Let's get out of here," Penguin said. The two groups of pirates headed outside.

Neo looked around, amazed at the mess the three captains had made in such a short amount of time. Soldiers were lying all over the ground; one's head was in Law's hand as he tossed it up and down before throwing it at another soldier. Her eyes turned back to Law when he called for Bepo. The bear leaped out, spun in the air, then landed a kick on a soldier. Law walked over to a large man that wasn't sitting outside when they got there. The man wore a collar around his neck so it was obvious he was a slave. Law freed him with his Room, the collar fell heavily onto the ground. Words were exchanged between the two men before the large one hit some soldiers.

It didn't take long for the rest of them to get involved in the fight after that. Kailen, like before, had his crystals concealed in his hands. Since he was using them she decided it would be best to use her water crystals. Hopefully the navy would think they just devil fruit users too. She only wished her had some form of disguise so they wouldn't be able to recognize them later. They all fought for a few more minutes before the captain called a retreat. They ran. And ran until they came upon the Kid Pirates. A cloud of dust was hovering in front of them. Neo said, "What's going on?"  
"Is that?" Law said.

Neo peered into the dissipating dust. Another man, bigger than the one Law freed appeared. "Who is that?"

"Kuma," Penguin said. "One of the Seven Warlords."

"A warlord?" Neo asked. Her heart leaped into her throat when the warlord opened his mouth and shot some form of beam at the captain. She lunged forward. "Law!"

"Hold on!" Penguin grabbed her.

"Neo! What were you thinking?" Kailen said. "You can't fight him!"

"I don't care!" Neo struggled against Penguin's hold.

"Stop struggling. That captain's fine!" Penguin said. "Just look."

He was right. Law walked out of the dust the blast created. He was unharmed.

Neo sighed. The fight resumed with the navy coming up from behind them. She used her water crystals to knock down some soldiers while Kailen used his vines to wrap the soldiers up so they couldn't follow. They turned back to the warlord. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo were fighting him now. But they were easily knocked away. Neo used her water crystals to catch them. They flashed her a smile of thanks before she turned her water crystals onto the warlord. Her water soaked him, causing sparks to fly. "What the heck?"  
"That guy ain't no warlord," Law said.

"Then what is he?" Kailen asked.

"Some sort of machine." Law lifted his sword. "Let's take it down. Kailen, use your vines to pull his legs apart. Neo, use your water on him again."

The elementals nodded and did as they were instructed. Neo dumped water on the warlord, causing it to spark and freeze. Kailen grabbed it by its ankles and pulled. The hips creaked and snapped. Law warped himself onto the machine's chest and sunk his sword into it. The machine stopped moving before falling back onto the ground.

"Geez." Neo brushed sweat off her chin. "What is this guy made of?"

"That fight was ridiculous," Bepo said rubbing his leg. "I think it broke something."

"Why would anyone want to make a robot of a warlord?" Shachi asked.

"I don't know," Penguin said between his pants. "But I don't ever want to fight one of those things again."

The group gathered closer to the Kid Pirates. Kid glared at them. "We didn't need your help."

"Keep telling yourself that," Law said.

"Well, at least the woman and the green haired one were somewhat helpful." Kid looked at them. "I've never seen those types of devil fruits." He took a closer look at them. "What are you two? You're different from everyone else."

"They are none of your concern," Law said.

Kid opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by another Kuma machine dropping in on them. Another fight ensued. Knowing what they were up against it took them a lot less time to get rid of this one before escaping to their respective ships.

"Why in the world were their two of those things?!" Shachi screamed as he dropped to the deck of the sub.

"I'm just glad we got away," Penguin said.

"Thanks to Neo and Kailen," Bepo said. "We might have gotten hurt worse if they weren't around."

"It would have been better if I could have just flown us out of there." Neo eyed the bruises forming on the crew. All of their chests were raising and falling from trying to catch their breath. "Sorry."

"These are nothing," Penguin said gesturing to a bruise on his arm. "We're fine."

Law walked over to Neo. Tilting her chin to him, he scanned her for injuries.

"I'm fine," Neo said. "That thing didn't touch me at all."

Law nodded.

"So what now?" Kailen asked.

"We lay low in the sub," Law said. "The rest of the crew will soon hear about what happened and come for orders."

"I think I'm going to make some tea," Neo said. "My nerves are shot. I need to relax."

"Okay," Law said. They headed inside.

…

Neo fixed the tea while the other sat at the table to relax from the battle. When the tea was done she placed them all a steaming mug down in front of them before sitting beside Law. They drank in quiet. An hour later the rest of the crew started to show up.

"Hey! We heard what happen!" Archer said entering into the galley.

"And you're not going to believe what we found out," Conner said before dropping a newspaper onto the table.

Law picked it up.

"The navy is going to publicly execute Fire Fist Ace," Conner said.

Law's eyebrows narrowed.

"Is that bad?" Kailen asked.

"Yeah." Archer nodded. "Very bad. Ace is the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Whitebeard won't let anyone kill Ace. This is going to cause a war between them and the navy."


	24. Wars

Wars

Neo leaned against the railing. One arm was crossed over it while she propped her chin up with her other hand. The morning air was cool but quickly warming up as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky. Stared out at the island, or technically mangrove trees she watched to see if anyone would come their way. A few days had past since their fight with the navy. And so far no one came after them. She tried not to worry about it. Law had told her multiple times that the navy was too busy with the upcoming war that they wouldn't bother coming after them. Then there was also the Straw Hats she was worried about. Every since that fight the other day no one had seen them. She had no idea if they had gotten away or not. There were some rumors that the Straw Hat's ship was still docked at the archipelago. She wasn't sure if they were true or not.

A news coo flew over the sub, drawing her attention. It dropped a newspaper onto the deck. She walked over, picked it up, and opened it. She ran her eyes over the words until one particular article jumped out at her. The newspaper crinkled under her fingers. There in ink was news about her Godfather. And he was currently in a battle against Kaido. She gulped. There was no way she could get to him now. Besides she knew he wouldn't want her around another emperor. If elementals were with him right now their secrets were already at risk of being exposed. And there was no guarantee that they would make it to that area before he left it. She had no choice but to let it go.

"What are you doing out here?"

Neo lifted her eyes to find Law walking towards her.

"Nothing much. Just getting some air." She waved the newspaper. "This just got dropped off."

"Anything good?" Law took it from her.

"Shanks is fighting Kaido apparently," Neo said. "Why do you think he'd be doing that?"

"I'm not sure," Law said scanning his eyes over the articles. "It's possible that Kaido was trying to head for Marineford."

"Why?"  
"Because of the war that's going to happen there," Law said. "Kaido would never pass up an opportunity to attack at such a critical time."

"You think Shanks is trying to stop him to go there," Neo said. "That's possible. Do you think Shanks will go to Marineford?"

"It's possible." Law nodded.

Neo pursed her lips, wondering how far Marineford was from here. "Will we be going to the war?"

"Why would you ask that?" Law looked at her.

"Just curious." Neo shrugged. "Shanks knows Luffy. And Luffy is Fire Fist Ace's brother."

"They're brothers?"

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Godfather has met both of them. He told me all about them. I know Luffy will be going to Marineford to rescue his brother. It's possible that Shanks would go there to make sure Luffy survived."

"I really would like to know who your godfather is." Law folded the newspaper and tucked it under his arm. "He seems to know a lot of people."

"Yeah." Neo glanced out at the trees. She could feel Law's eyes on her, studying her, expecting her to speak. It was tempting to tell him. Maybe she should. If Shanks sailed close to them the elementals traveling with him would definitely sense her and Kailen. Keeping Shanks a secret was going to come to an abrupt end. "Law…"

"Yes?"  
"I think…I think it might be best if I told you now who our godfather is," Neo said.

"Are you sure?" Law asked.

"No, but you might get to see him soon," Neo said. "And he'll most likely have some of my people with him. They could be shocked that we're out here with pirates. They might attack if they think you kidnapped me."

"Make sense," Law said. "It's your call what you say."

Neo nodded. She mulled the thought over in her head for a few minutes before deciding it would be best if she told him. After all Rini and Jaq could have killed them so easily. She didn't want that to happen again. With a gulp she said, "Shanks is our godfather."

The newspaper fell to the deck with a flop. Law stood in disbelief.

Neo bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I know I should have told you sooner but…I just couldn't."

"Red Hair Shanks is your godfather," Law said.

"Yeah." Neo chuckled. "He is."

"Red Hair Shanks is your _godfather_ ," Law said again.

"You don't have to be afraid of him," Neo said. "He won't hurt you now that we're, um, now that we're friends and all."

Law shook his head. "I'm not afraid of him. I just find it hard to believe that an emperor is your godfather."

"Yeah." Neo wrapped her arms around herself. Her eyes dropped to the deck. She parted her lips to apologize again but stopped when Law's arms wrapped around her. "Law?"

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize," Law said. "I can understand why you kept it a secret."

Neo relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Anymore surprises that shocking?" Law asked.

"There's one more," Neo said. "But I'm more scared of telling you that one."

"Why?" Law pulled back and looked at her.

"Because I like how things are now. If you knew this other secret…you and the crew…you would treat me differently. I've had enough of that," Neo said unable to meet his gaze. Her heart thumped when he tilted her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.

"That will never happen," Law said. "No matter what secret you're keeping from us, we'll never treat you any differently than we are now."

Neo sighed.

"I'll wait until you are ready to share that secret," Law said. "I won't force it out of you."

"Thank you, Law," Neo said.

Law leaned down and kissed her.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Neo said when they broke apart.

"What?" Law brushed his nose against hers.

"Why did you ask Jean Bart to join your crew?" Neo asked.

"Because he's strong. And he's a former captain himself," Law said. "Knowledge is power."

Neo nodded.

"Is there something wrong with asking him?" Law tilted his head.

"No." Neo fiddled with his shirttail. "I was just curious. I think I find it hard to believe a former captain would willingly serve under another captain."

"It might be hard for some people to serve under another," Law said. "But Jean Bart isn't one of them. Besides, he's no longer a slave now."

"Yeah. None of them are," Neo said. "At least from this auction house. I wonder how many there are left in the world."

"Far too many for you to worry about," Law said. "So put it out of your head. We saved a few. It's impossible to save everyone."

"I know," Neo whispered. Her mind flashed back to her home.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," Law said.

"It's fine," Neo said. "Honestly, it doesn't hurt as much as it did. It still hurts but…"

"I don't think the pain will ever completely go away," Law said. "It will only get more bearable."

Neo looked to the sky when the wind picked up. Dark clouds were gathering in the distance. "It's going to rain soon."

Law followed her gaze. "Let's get inside then."

Slipping her hand into Law's, Neo walked inside with him.

…

Neo stared up at the screen, watching the ongoing war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the navy. Just about everyone on this section of the archipelago was there. All watching and waiting to see what was going to happen. Her hands trembled at her side. Each time the visual snail showed Luffy, bloody and bruised, her heart would seize up. Even though she had never met him she felt like she should go there and help him. She wanted to help him survive this war. He made a promise to her godfather after all. They had to meet up again.

This morning had started out so well. They had ate breakfast, spent a little more time in the sub listening to some of Jean Bart's adventures before deciding to head into town. Law had deemed it safe to return. The navy would be too busy. Little did they know that the upcoming war was going to happen today.

"That's ridiculous," Penguin said.

"What?" Neo lifted from her thoughts. She noticed at the screen was now black.

"People are saying Whitebeard betrayed his crew and left them behind." Penguin crossed his arms. "What a crock."

"Let's go," Law said.

"Where are we going?" Kailen asked as everyone followed the captain.

"We're heading for Marineford," Law said. "Whitebeard would never leave his crew behind. That's why he such a legend."

"We're going to the war?" Neo rushed to his side. "Why?"  
"It just feels right," Law said.

Neo stared at him for a few seconds before turning her eyes forward. They were going to the war. Her heart raced. Maybe, just maybe, she could speak with Luffy this time. Reaching the sub her mind spun. They all climbed inside. The crew immediately spread out inside the water vessel. Law also disappeared. She figured he was going to get his crew prepared for the war. She didn't want to be in the way so she stayed away from him and went to the rec. room instead. Not feeling like reading, she just sat there at the table.

The minutes seemed to tick by so painfully slow before the sub finally dipped below the water. Time seemed to slow down even more as she stared out the porthole in the rec. room. She had no idea where the crew had disappeared to. Were they sparring with each other in preparation for the war? Were they even going to fight? She figured Archer was in the control room as he often was. Bepo was most likely in his navigation room. Some of the others were probably helping Jean Bart get use to the sub more or familiarizing him with what they do when they confronted an enemy. Kailen was in their room. She had no clue why he was down there.

"Hey, Neo," Conner said.

Neo looked at him.

"The captain wants to see you," he said. "He's in his room."

"Oh." Neo pushed away from the table. "Thank you. I'll go right now."

Conner nodded then disappeared from her view.

Neo headed upstairs. Law's door was open so she stepped inside.

"Close the door," Law said from his bed.

Neo did then walked over to him. "You wanted to see me?"

"Sit." Law tapped his bed.

Neo sat down beside him.

"We have to talk about the war," Law said.

"What about it?" Neo swallowed. Her nerves didn't allow her to try and figure out what this meeting was about.

"I don't want you anywhere near it." Law locked eyes with her.

"What? Why?" Neo's eyebrows knitted.

"It's not going to be safe for you to reveal yourself," Law said.

"I'm not sure I understand," Neo said.

"Some of the strongest pirates and navy soldiers in the world are going to be there. They might be more concerned with the war but that won't mean they won't notice you and Kailen," Law said. "If they see you two then that could put you in their sights."

"I suppose that makes sense," Neo said.

"But?"  
"But I really wanted to talk to Luffy, I mean Straw Hat," Neo said.

"What for?" Law asked.

Neo thought about it for a minute then remembered the news report on Shanks. Luffy wouldn't know much more than she did. "I've just heard a lot of stories about him from Godfather. I told you they know each other. I wanted to meet him. The only chance I had was back on Sabaody but things got so messed up there I didn't get a chance."

"And you think you could talk to him in the middle of a war?" Law asked.

"No." Neo shook her head. "I'm just tense I guess. Godfather cares so much about Luffy that I'm concerned about him. He's trying to rescue Fire Fist Ace. He's trying to save his brother."

"You better not be thinking you can do something to help them," Law said sternly. "You're still new to this world of pirates."

"Yeah. I know. And don't worry. It's not like I'm going to run out there in the middle of the war." Neo nodded. "By the way, what exactly are you going to do when we get there?" Alarm rose in her body. "Your not going to fight, are you?! I know it's a possibility but with as much trouble as we had with those machines-"

"Calm down. Of course we're not going to fight," Law said. "We're just going to see what opportunities come about."

"Why do I not believe you?" Neo gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you doubting me?" Law smiled.

"I might be," Neo said. "I've known you long enough to know you have a plan going on in the head of yours." She tapped his forehead.

"You're right." Law wrapped his arm around her and pulled her down to the bed with him. "I have a plan all right."

"Law!" Neo flushed.

"And right now my plans involve you." Law pulled her into a kiss, silencing any more conversation.

Neo thought it was inappropriate to kiss at a time like this but she welcomed the distraction. It made all of her worries completely vanish. Well, it did until Bepo came to let the captain know they were getting closer to Marineford. "Already?"

"The sub moves fast," Law said. He took her hand in his before leaving the room. They made their way down to the control room, gaining some curious glances as they went. Some of the crew didn't notice they had become a couple until recently. And some were still trying to adjust to their captain being in a relationship.

Neo was still getting use to it as well. Though it being out in the open made her feel a bit better about it, no matter how thrilling it was to keep it a secret. They stepped into the control room. Archer kept his eyes on the control. A chill washed over her. "There's ice all over the ocean near the island."

"Ice?" Archer asked.

"Aokiji," Law said. "Remember the admirals are there."

Neo nodded. She could feel all the different types of devil fruits. They were all over the island. She tried to locate Luffy's rubber body but was having trouble finding him in the chaos.

It was several minutes later before Archer spoke up again. He said, "Captain, we found an ice free spot."

"Then surface," Law said. He turned to Neo. "Stay inside."

Neo nodded and watched him leave the room. Not wanting to be too far away from him, incase worse came to worse and she was needed, she headed up to the main floor. She paused on the steps and listened to the battle outside. Many guns and cannons were going off. She tried to feel out where Luffy was again.

"If you keep making that face it's going to freeze like that," Kailen said.

"What face?" Neo glanced up at him just as he sat down beside her.

"It's all scrunched up," Kailen said. "You worry too much."

"How can I not?" Neo went back to searching for Luffy before another, very familiar feeling came into her and Kailen's mind. They shot their eyes at each other. "Oh no."

"Oh, yes," Kailen said.

Neo pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Hey! An emperor has arrived!" Conner said. "What's he doing here?!"

Neo gasped at his words. The crew had seen him as well. Their godfather had arrived. And he was carrying two wind elementals with him. Her heart thumped against her chest. "He's here. Kailen, Godfather's here."

"Yeah." Kailen nodded.

Neo jumped to her feet.

"Wait!" Kailen grabbed her wrist before she could move another foot.

"Kailen! Let go!" Neo said.

"You can't go out there!" Kailen said.

"We have to!" Neo said. "You know they sense us! They're going to be freaked out! We have to go out there before they kill the crew!"

Kailen gritted his teeth.

Neo could tell he knew she was right. He released her wrist. She turned and bolted for the room. Kailen followed close behind.

"Neo!" Bepo shrieked. "What are you doing out here?!"

"Neo! Get back inside!" Law ordered.

Before Neo could answer sharp slices of wind knocked all the pirates down or back against the sub. Her eyes shot up to the elementals lowering down to them. She gulped. Her head pounded. This was it. The crew was going to finally know her the secret that she feared the most.

"Princess." The two wind elementals landed and immediately dropped to their knee.

"Princess?!" Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi shrieked.

"Neo!" another voice called out just before the owner of the voice landed on the sub. The water vessel plummeted into the water a few feet before rocking to a stop.

"Lucky Roo!" Kailen said.

"Uncle Roo!" Neo said.

Lucky Roo glared at the pirates, pointing his gun at them. "What are you despicable pirates doing with Neo and Kailen?! Prepare to die for taking them from their home!"

"Hey! Hold on!" Shachi screamed, still pinned against the sub. "It's not what you think!"

"Wait a second! We didn't take them from their home!" Bepo said.

Neo and Kailen rushed over to the man. Both screamed the same thing. "Lucky Roo! It's okay! They didn't come to Luminous!"

"Huh? Are you sure?" Lucky Roo looked at the elementals then at the pirates. "Then what's going on? Why are you two here? Why aren't you back on…back home?"

"It's a long story," Neo said before telling him and the elementals as quickly as possible what happened.

"The darkness...Rylan and Mira are…And Neo can't…Oh boy." Lucky Roo shook his head, his gun lowered to his side. "This is not good at all. The captain will not be happy."

"I know." Kailen nodded. "It's a lot to take in."

"Release the pirates," Neo said.

"Very well." The elementals retracted their winds.

Neo glanced at the Heart Pirates. They were now watching them closely.

"So you've been sailing around with these pirates since then," Lucky Roo said as he scanned the crew again. "If I'm not mistaken these are the Heart Pirates."

"That's right," Neo said.

"And we've been with them most of the time. We're in no danger from them," Kailen said. "But we really need to see Shanks."

"Yeah." Lucky Roo looked over at the war. "But now is not a good time. He took off before we even landed. You know he won't want you to be discovered."

"So what do we do?" Neo asked. A loud shriek pulled their eyes up to the sky. Suspended in the air was a clown-faced man. He was holding Luffy and another in his hands. She took a closer look and noticed the man's body was some how in pieces. A devil fruit user, she assumed. "Luffy!"

"He looks hurt," Lucky Roo said. They glanced over at Law when he yelled curses to the floating man to hand over Straw Hat.

"Luffy needs help," Neo said. "We have to get him out of here."

Lucky Roo turned back to Neo and Kailen. "You two stay with this crew for now."

"What?" Neo gasped. "But we've been looking for you…"

"I know. But you'll be safer with them. We still have to end this war. Besides, someone need to keep an eye on Luffy." Lucky Roo looked at the wind elementals. "Era, you stay with them. Once they find a safe place to hide from all this come and get us."

Era nodded. "Will do."

"Are you sure about that?" Kailen asked.

"I am." Lucky Roo nodded. "Era is in possession of a piece of vivre card that belongs to the captain. So she'll find us easily. I'll let the captain know as soon as possible what's happened." He placed his hand on Neo's shoulder. "We'll come to you as soon as we can. I promise."

Neo nodded, tears threatening to fall. But she knew he was right. Staying with the war still going was dangerous. Plus, Luffy looked horrible.

"All right," Kailen said with a sigh. "We'll be waiting for you."

Lucky Roo nodded again before jumping off the sub with the second elemental following him.

"Come on, you idiot! Just give him here already!" Law screamed.

"Fine! I'm done with this crap! Here! Take them!" The floating man threw the two he was holding towards the sub.

Neo and Kailen looked up just as he threw the unconscious Straw Hat and a large fishman towards them. Neo noticed who it was then. Shanks description of the man was spot on. It was Buggy. He had been on Gol D. Roger's ship when he was younger with Shanks. She wondered for a split second why she didn't recognize him at first, but it was cut off by Luffy and the other unconscious man flying towards them.

Jean Bart caught the two. Bepo took Luffy and ran into the sub. Neo, Kailen, and Era quickly followed. They entered into the operating room. Neo looked over Luffy's injuries and cringed. He had a huge wound on his chest. His mouth was hanging open in a silent cry. His eyes were hollow. She gulped. What horrors did he see out there? And where was his brother? What happened to Fire Fist Ace? Her eyes turned to the other wounded person in the room. Studying his blue skin and gills revealed him to be a fishman. Then she noticed someone missing. "Where's Law?!"

"I'm here," Law said upon entering the room with a straw hat in his hand.

Neo relaxed. Bepo was with him as well.

"Here." Law handed the straw hat to her.

Neo took the hat from him.

Law slipped on a pair of rubber gloves then turned to his patients. "All right. Shall we begin? This one's been shot through the stomach. It's amazing he's still alive. Straw Hat's injuries are even worse. But I think his emotional trauma is the real issue."

"Do they need anesthesia?" Penguin asked.

"Not in this state no. They're both unconscious. And Straw Hat's one step shy of comatose. Which means no matter how grizzly this gets you won't hear a single peep out of them." Law smiled, his eyes taking on a joyful look at the coming surgeries. "It's going to be a fun operation, yeah."

"Must you make that crazy face before operating?" Neo asked.

"I must." Law smirked. "This is going to be a fun operation. It's not often I get to operate on someone like this."

"You're weird," Neo said.

"Everything's looking good. His pulse is steady," Shachi said.

Neo stood, holding Luffy's hat to her chest. One of the crew pushed a trolley with surgical equipment over to Law as he began working on Luffy's wound. She watched for a few second before turning away. The blood dripping down Luffy's chest was too much. Then she and Kailen felt ice shooting towards them. "Aokiji's about to hit the sub!"

"Hold on!" Kailen added. The sub rocked and shook from the ice shards hitting the panels outside. The pirates and elementals stumbled at the impact.

"Curse that Aokiji!" Conner shouted. "He's going to sink us!"

"We have to do something!" Shachi said. Another hit.

Neo stumbled backwards. She moved to get her footing but stopped when Era wrapped her winds around her.

"Don't worry, Princess," Era said. "I'll protect you."

"Princess?!" the crewmates, who weren't outside for that reveal, shrieked.

"Uh, thanks," Neo mumbled, unable to meet their gazes. Her eyes fell to Bepo. The bear was rolling around on the floor due to the hits on the sub.

Bepo jumped up and ran over to Law. He said, "What do we do, Captain?! What do we do?! Aokiji's going to kill us!"

"I don't care! Just do something!" Law ordered through gritted teeth.

"Kailen," Neo said. "We have to help. Pull up rocks and sea plants to try and stop the ice."

"Right." Kailen nodded.

Neo focused on the outside. They used their earth crystals to block the ice as best they could. She felt Law's eyes looking her over. Her pulse thumped. They were going to have to have a talk about her royal status. She wasn't ready for that. She forced it out of her head. First things first. They have to get away from all this ice. Closing her eyes to keep from being distracted, she pulled up as many rocks and sea plants as she could. She and Kailen wove the plants together, strengthening them. Another jolt of the sub threw her and Kailen off balance. Era caught them like before.

"That's it," Kailen said. "We're away from the ice. Whatever else is attacking us, we can't do anymore to stop it."

"Most likely it's another admiral," Conner said. "Kizaru is light."

"Are you suggesting they do something about light?" Era glared at him.

"No," Conner said glaring back. "I'm just saying he's light."

"It's fine, Era," Neo said.

"Yes, Princess." Era stood down.

"Princess." Conner shook his head.

"I'm sorry," Neo mumbled. Her eyes flittered to Law. He was busy working on Luffy to look at her. Her eyes then drifted over to Penguin. Despite his hat over his eyes she could tell he was looking at her. And he was frowning. She sighed when he looked away from her.

"We're finally free, Captain," Jean Bart's voice said through the voice pipe on the sub.

Neo glanced over at the voice pipe, wondering when Jean Bart had gone to the control room and why Archer wasn't there instead. Maybe he had experience with subs? She shook her head. It didn't matter. They were away from the war and the admirals. All they had to do was find a safe place to stay until Shanks could come to them. But where was that going to be? And how far will it take them away from their godfather?

The time past. One by one the crew started to leave the operating room. Before long Neo, Law, Era, and the two patients were the only ones in the room. Neo had heard Kailen ask Era if she wanted to come with him to the galley but she declined in favor of staying close to her princess. Neo flinched upon hearing those words. She had to figure out how to address this situation with Law and the crew. Penguin was already upset with her. He didn't even look at her when he left the room.

"So," Law said through the tense silence in the room. "You're a princess."

"Yeah." Feet aching from standing for so long, Neo pushed herself upon the foot of Luffy's bed.

"I should have known," Law said.

"What do you mean?" Neo looked up at him. He was standing upon the second operating table so he could work on the former warlord's body. Somewhere in the time before the crew left the room someone mentioned who the fishman was. "There's no way you could have known."

"I might not have known you were royalty but there were signs that you were from a high class upbringing," Law said.

"There was?" Neo blinked.

"The way you move is too graceful for any normal person," Law said.

"How could that have told you about my royal heritage?" Neo asked.

"It wasn't only that," Law said. "It was a combination of things. That, plus the way you spoke sometimes. Your voice would occasionally change from a normal one to a more leader type roll. Despite that, you never appeared to be all that comfortable in a leadership role. But the thing that practically sealed the deal was when we met those other two elementals. The way they treated you."

"Oh. Right." Neo dropped her eyes to Luffy's hat in her lap. "How upset are you that I kept this a secret?"  
"I wouldn't say I'm upset," Law said. "You said you were keeping another secret from us."

"And you pirates better not hold it against the princess," Era hissed. "I will not permit you to do so."

"Shut up," Law said. "This is between us."

"What did you say?!" Era's crystals glittered into existence.

"Era, enough," Neo said. "Please, leave us."

"But, Princess," Era said.

"It's fine," Neo said. "Why don't you go to the galley and get something to eat or drink?"

"If that I what you wish." Era bowed to Neo, gave Law a glare, and then left the room.

"She's charming. Are they all like that?" Law asked.

"Some worse," Neo said. "I really am sorry."

"Why?" Law asked.

"I was scared," Neo said. "Back on Luminous I'm always treated like a royal."

"You are one," Law said.

"I know," Neo said. "But I'm not that different from everyone else."

"Oh?" Law tossed her a smirk over his shoulder. "How exactly are you different from everyone else? Give me the full story."

Neo sighed. "Because I'm the only one who can purify the darkness crystal. When Atlas killed my parents he had used the darkness crystal to turn my people dark. Without the solar crystal my people will remain like that."

"So you need the solar crystal to return home," Law said. "Why don't you just stay way? Forget about Luminous and your people?"

"It's not that easy. I'm bound to them no matter what," Neo said. "If Atlas takes the darkness crystal off Luminous he could turn any normal elemental into a dark one."

"But not you," Law said.

"Normally, no. But without the use of my solar crystal…I'm not sure what could happen," Neo said. "I guess you could say I'm fighting my own war right now."

"I see," Law said.

"I did want to tell you all about my royal heritage. I was just scared because I thought you all would treat me like the royal I am," Neo said. "I really love the way you all treat me normally. Back home only my three friends and family treat me like everyone else. No matter how many times I tell people they can call me Neo they insist on calling me Princess."

"And I told you nothing will change that," Law said. "You're still you."

Neo pondered on his words. "Penguin's upset with me."

"He'll get over it. Just tell him what you told me." Law jumped off the table. "There. All done. I'm going to head out onto the deck. You coming?"

"No." Neo shook her head. "I need to think."

Law walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "Just talk to him."

Neo nodded but stayed where she was. Her eyes turned to Luffy and watched him, studied him. Despite all the cords that were attacked to his body and the mask over his mouth, she could see he was exactly as her godfather had described. And he was possibly on the verge of dying.

Her mind shifted back to Luminous and the first time Shanks had come without his left arm. She was terrified when she learned he had lost an arm. So much so she ran into the forest and curled up into a large opening in a tree. She stayed there for an hour crying until Shanks came to her. He told her the story of how it happened. That made her crawl out of the tree and curl up in his lap until she fell asleep. She was still afraid and upset about his arm but helping him keep it clean and bandage it helped her get over that. She even used her solar crystal on it.

The thought of those times brought tears to her eyes. A wave of sleepiness washed over her. Curling into a ball at the foot of the bed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

…

"Neo. Neo, wake up."

"Huh?" Neo opened her eyes. "Kai?"  
"Yeah," Kailen said.

"What's going on?" Neo asked.

"We've landed at a place called Amazon Lily."

Neo sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh? Have I been asleep that long?"  
"Not really."

"What did I miss then?"

"Quite a bit. One of the other warlords apparently followed us using a navy ship. She turned the soldiers to stone using her devil fruit powers. She's ridiculously infatuated with Luffy, thinking she's in love with him," Kailen said. "Anyway, apparently some others were aboard the navy ship too. They were prisoners who escaped Impel Down with Luffy when he was trying to free Ace. The leader of them is called Ivo. He and his friends departed long ago when Hancock said we can stay on Amazon Lily. It's a women only island. With some protesting from an elder an agreement was made for us to stay in a bay where the sea kings won't attack us."

"Sea kings?" Neo asked.

"We had to pass over a calm belt to get to Amazon Lily," Kailen said. "Thanks to Era we got there faster than we thought we would. Now we're just waiting to see when Luffy will wake up and when Shanks will get here."

"I see," Neo said. She looked over to the other bed. It was empty. "Where'd he go? Jinbe?"

"He's up on the island with the others now," Kailen said. "He woke up shortly after Hancock arrived."

"I slept through everything," Neo said, surprised.

"This day has been rough on you," Kailen said. "I'm not surprised you fell asleep. Both Law and I wanted you to rest so no one bothered you. Anyway, while us men can't go into the island you can."

"I don't feel like it," Neo said. "I don't feel like being around people."

Kailen nodded. "I figured as much. You know the crew is waiting for-"

"When will Godfather be here?" Neo asked, cutting him off.

"Era will go to him when it gets light," Kailen said. "She doesn't want to fly at night with the dark elementals out there. She'll leave as soon as it get light enough."

"Hopefully Godfather isn't too far away," Neo said.

"He won't be," Kailen said. "You know Lucky Roo has told him about us by now. It's only a matter of time before Shanks and the crew arrives."

Neo nodded then looked to Luffy. "So how's he doing?"  
"No changes," Kailen said. "He's pretty badly hurt. Law still doesn't know when, or if, he'll wake up. All we can do is wait and see."

"Wait," Neo said. "Wonderful. That's all we've been doing."

"I know. But it'll get better soon." A pause passed between them. "What about the crew?"

Neo twitched.

"They're curious," Kailen said.

"You haven't talked to them?" Neo asked.

"There's no point," Kailen said. "They want to hear it from you, especially Penguin."

"He's hurt," Neo said.

"Yeah, but he'll understand when you talk to him about it," Kailen said while walking out of the room.

Neo stayed where she was for a few more hours. She wanted to stay longer but her stomach wouldn't let her. Rumbling with disapproval from avoiding eating food, she slipped off the bed and headed for the galley. She knew she could grow her something to eat but she really needed to speak with Penguin.

She paused on the main floor when she sensed Era standing guard out on the deck. Shaking it from her head, she continued on to the galley, hoping he was inside. It would be best if she could talk to him before addressing the rest of the crew. Reaching the galley, she found he was there. He was sitting in the low light of the setting sun at the table. Swallowing her nerves down she walked over and sat across from him. "Penguin…"

"Why?" Penguin. "Why didn't you just tell me? Did you really think I'd treat you differently?"

"I'm sorry, Penguin," Neo said. "I just didn't want to let go how things were. I was scared."

"I want to say I understand, but I don't," Penguin said.

"I know." Neo nodded. "It's just that I…I've lived my entire live being treated different from everyone else on Luminous. I know I am different because of my solar crystal. But that didn't mean they had to constantly treat me like a royal. They could treat me like anyone else. I guess elementals are just born to treat their royal like the royal they're born as."

"So you and Kailen live in a castle?" Penguin finally looked up at her.

"Yeah. Well, some of the time we did," Neo said. "Mom didn't want me to be spoiled like royals are. So she had us live in our home a lot of the time. And, just so you know, Kailen isn't a royal."

"How so? Because he was adopted?"

"No." Neo shook her head. "Even if we were blood related he still wouldn't be a royal. Royals are the only ones who can use all four element crystals and the solar crystal."

"Solar crystal," Penguin said.

Neo took a breath before explaining _everything_ to him. "I really am sorry, Penguin. I wanted to tell you all, but I just couldn't get myself to do it."

"It's okay." Penguin slid his hands across the table. "I understand a bit better now. I'm still hurt that you didn't feel like you could trust us with this."

Neo reached out and placed her hands in his. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Neo. I still love you and still view you as a sister," Penguin said.

"Thanks so much, Pen." Tears dripped down Neo's eyes.

"You ready to talk to the rest of the crew about this?" Penguin asked.

Neo groaned. "Why didn't I just stand in front of you all so I didn't have to repeat all this a third time?"

Penguin laughed and stood up with her. Rounding the table, he put his arm around her shoulder. "Next time we'll put you on the voice pipe. Let's go."

"Okay, but first, I want something to eat," Neo said. "I'm starving!"

...

 **Pokemon17: Thanks. Glad you like it.**


	25. Godfather, Talks, & Crystals

Godfather, Talks, & Crystals

"Be careful, Era," Neo said. Standing on the edge of the cliff, she looked over to the ocean. A sea king jumped out of the water before disappearing back into the depths. She brought her eyes back to Era. "The dark elementals could be near."

Era nodded. "I will. And I'll bring Shanks back here as quickly as I can." She shot a glare over to the pirates. "Are you sure you'll be safe with them? I can take you both with me."

"I'm sure." Neo nodded. "As much as I want to go with you, I feel like we need to stay here and be close to Luffy."

"Very well. Stay safe." Era turned. Wrapping her winds around her body, she lifted into the sky and disappeared into the golden horizon within seconds.

"I hope she'll be okay," Neo said.

"She'll be fine," Kailen said. "It's you the dark elementals are after."

"Yeah, but they can still turn her into one of them." Neo shook her head. "No, I won't think about it. It'll be fine. Godfather will be here soon. Then we'll handle the darkness crystal."

"What exactly are you going to do about that?" Penguin asked walking over to them.

Neo turned to him. She had been avoiding the topic. But it had to be addressed. "I don't have a choice. I have to go back to Luminous."

"We're going with you," Shachi said.

"No." Neo shook her head. "It's not safe for you all to go."

"We're not going to leave you alone!" Archer said. "We can help you!"

"Against nature?" Neo looked at him then at each one of the pirates. The only one who didn't seem to really care one way or the other was Jean Bart. It was expected. He's only been with the crew for a short while.

"But we…" Archer trailed off.

"She's right," Conner said, crossing his arms. "This sucks. But what can we do against them?"

"Not much of anything," Kailen said. "The only way you might be effective is if you were skilled enough to use their elements against them."

"Why couldn't we?" Bepo asked.

"You all might be fast but you're not faster than the wind," Kailen said.

"We could be," Penguin said. "You two could train us."

"We only have earth and water crystals," Neo said. "It won't be enough."

"Well, we have the captain," Shachi said. "He could switch us into another's body. Right, Captain?"

"Theoretically, it's possible," Law said.

Neo looked at him. He was still sitting back against a tree like he had been pretty much all morning. She knew what he was thinking. "But he's never switched an elemental with a human before. It might not work out like normal."

"We could try," Archer said. "Switch one of us with Kailen."

The crew mumbled their agreement.

"No!" Neo said sternly. "It's not worth it! We have no idea what might happen! I've risked your lives enough! I won't do it anymore!"

"We risk our lives every day." Law stood up. He walked over to Neo and stood toe to toe with her. "This won't be all that different. Paramecia devil fruits have element powers as well."

"It's not the same, Law," Neo said. "Devil fruit users have a weakness against the ocean and sea stone. The elementals aren't like that. They're not easily defeated. And look at your own power. The more you use it the more your stamina drains. My people can easily dump you into the ocean. No. I won't let you do it."

"We're pirates, Neo. We are free to do what we want. And we will follow you to Luminous if we have to," Law said.

"Law, this is no time to be stubborn." Neo frowned.

"My thoughts exactly," Law said.

Neo sighed and rubbed her forehead. A dull throb appeared behind her eyebrows. "Law, please, don't do this."

"You're not going to talk us out of it," Law said. Holding up his hand, he formed his Room. "Accept it."

"I don't accept you all dying for me," Neo whispered.

"That won't happen. Shambles."

Neo closed her eyes. The switch happened.

"So?" Law asked.

"Wow. It feels weird," Archer said.

Neo opened her eyes. It took a single look to notice Archer was now in Kailen's body.

"Kailen?" Law looked to Archer's body.

"Let's see." Kailen focused on his body. A second later, his crystals appeared. "Looks like I'm still connected to my crystals."

"What does that mean?" Bepo asked.

"Our connection to nature is more than just a physical one," Neo said. "We connected to it mentally, physically, and through our souls."

"Sounds like nothing can break that. Even being put in another's body," Jean Bart said. "You are fascinating creatures."

"We're still going." Law switched Kailen and Archer back.

"Law, I'm begging you," Neo said, tears pooled in her eyes. "Don't do this. I can't…I won't be able to handle it if you died." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I already lost my parents. I won't lose you all too."

"That's not going to happen." Law wrapped his arms around her, holding his sword in one hand. "We're not going to die. Remember, while I don't like the idea of depending on them, we still have Red Hair and his crew."

Tears leaked down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He had a point. Her godfather had haki that he could use to knock the elementals out, or some of them. But it still wasn't worth the risk. Her godfather and crew were still weak against nature. All humans were. "Law…"

"Don't worry about it right now," Law said stroking her hair. "You still don't have all your crystals back. You need them before you can make a move."

Neo nodded. There was that. Still, the worry wouldn't go away. With a deep breath she allowed Law to pull her over to the tree he had been sitting at for most of the time when outside. She sat down with him and leaned into his warm embrace.

A couple hours passed. The silence was broke by the Kuja women entering into their camp with their provisions. The tallest of them, Aphelandra said, "We've brought your food for the day!"

Neo eyed the women. It was the same group that always came. In addition to Aphelandra there was Kikyo, Sweet Pea, and Margaret. Aphelandra, Sweet Pea, and Margaret were the nicest of the group. Kikyo was stuck on the traditions of their island of not talking to the men in any sort of way. Neo had a hard time wrapping her mind around that concept. But she respected their traditions and laws and had no intentions of upsetting that.

"Think you'll go into their village?" Law asked.

"No," Neo said. "As nice as it sounds, I don't want to get too far away from Luffy and the cove. I want to be here when Godfather arrives."

"It'll take at least two days for your friend to find him and bring him back," Law said rubbing circles on her hand with his thumb. "Maybe even longer."

"Considering there's two wind elementals it'll take half the time it took us to get here," Neo said.

Law cocked an eyebrow.

"Every elementals abilities are different from each other," Neo said. "Some are stronger than others. Some can grow stronger with training too."

"So your magic isn't all that much different from the human body," Law said.

"I guess so," Neo said.

"But I find it hard to believe that there's no way you all don't have a weakness," Law said.

"What do you mean?" Neo asked.

"Everyone has a weakness," Law said. "Surely there's something in this world that would suppress your magic like the sea stone does to devil fruits."

Neo hummed. Her mind jumped back to the one island when she became weak and couldn't use her crystals. "That glowing stone."

"What about it?" Law asked.

"You saw it," Neo said. "It didn't have an effect on you. But what if it has on elementals?"

Law's eyebrows drew together.

"You never could test that," Neo said. "When Kailen went to that shop nothing happened to him because it wasn't there. You probably still don't believe me when I say it did glow."

"I don't know," Law said. "I suppose it's possible. I never did have Kailen go there again and expose himself to it." He frowned. "Now I should have."

"Well, if that really does have something to do with what happened I'm sure we'll come across it again," Neo said. "Or at least another elemental will. There's no point in over thinking this. It still could have just been a one time thing."

"Possibly," Law said.

"Hey!" Penguin said. The two looked up to see him and Kailen walked over to them with their meals in hand, cups balancing on the plates. "We thought you might be hungry."

"Thanks, guys." Neo took her plate while Law took his.

"What are you two talking about over here?" Kailen sat down.

"Weaknesses and what happened back in the jewelry store," Neo said.

"Why would you want to talk about that?" Penguin asked.

"It sort of just came up." Neo shrugged.

"We should tell Shanks about that," Kailen said.

"I could use a distraction." Neo looked up at the sky. Fat clouds floated by on the wind. "Time feels like it's stopped."

"Well, if you really want a distraction." Law released his food and slipped his hand underneath the back of her shirt.

Neo squeak, her face flushed. "Law!"

"What?" Law smirked.

Penguin snickered. "Well, you did ask for a distraction."

"Yeah," Neo said. "But I didn't mean that! Besides, we have our lunch here! We need to eat it before it gets cold!"

"Lousy excuse." Law retracted his hand and picked up a piece of broccoli.

Neo growled before turning her attention to her own food. She knew for a fact that Law wouldn't show much more affection in front of the crew, other than holding her hand. Chewing on her meal she thought about that. It wasn't until now that she realized when they did really kiss the crew wasn't around. And there was the fact she knew he wouldn't do it when they were on islands. Sure they haven't been to one, besides here and Sabaody, since they've officially come out as a couple. Women would think they weren't a couple. She wanted to ask him about it, but kept quiet until Kailen and Penguin wandered off after finishing her meal. "Is there a reason you don't kiss me in front of the crew?"  
"Where did that come from?" Law stared at her.

"When you put your hand up my shirt," Neo said. "It just came to mind that when we kiss we're always alone."

"Does that bother you?" Law asked.

"No, not really." Neo studied his eyes and the times he's show some affection to the crew. It didn't happen often. And mostly when it did happen not many people were around. "I guess that's just how you are."

"You sure it doesn't bother you?" Law asked again.

"I'm sure," Neo said. "Don't worry about it. I know some people aren't big on showing affection in front of others. A lot of the pirates on Godfather's crew are like that." She paused before adding, "Well, I guess showing a little more affection in public would be nice. I mean…" She turned her head away from him slightly. "…other women might think you're not involved already."

Law chuckled. "So that's what this is about."

"Maybe." Neo shrugged.

"You don't have to worry about other women," Law said. "Whether I kiss you in front of them or not there will be some that will still try and flirt with me."

"I know," Neo mumbled. "But still…it would be nice if you…oh, never mind. It doesn't matter." She stiffened when his finger appeared under her chin. He turned her towards him. "What are you-"

Law cut her off with a kiss. His kiss was gentle, coaxing her to follow his every move as he tangled his tongue with hers. "You don't have to worry about any other woman. Whether they flirt with me or not I'll always return to you."

"You're amazing." Neo sighed.

"You didn't always think that," Law said with a smirk.

"Oh! Hush!" Neo pulled away from him and crossed her arms. "Why would I have? With the way you were acting-Ah!"

Law tackled Neo to the ground. His fingers went right to her ribs.

Neo snorted before laughing. "L-Law! St-stop it!"

"Not going to happen," Law said, continuing his assault.

Neo's laughter was cut off with a sudden gust of wind. As the temperature around them plummeted so did her body temperature. So many of them appeared, surrounding them like an army, an army of darkness. "No…"

"Neo?" Law paused, placing his hands on the ground. Some of the crew screamed. He looked to see the wind had knocked a few over while some were chasing after their hats. "What's going on?"

"They…they're here," Neo whispered, her voice got swallowed up by the wind. She pushed Law off of her and jumped to her feet. Her eyes went to the sky. They were there. Over a hundred darkness engulfed elementals, wrapped up in the wind or hovering on ocean geysers, were staring down at them. Among them were her three friends and Tao. The wind died down.

The crew murmured their confusion.

"Are those…?" Law trailed off.

Neo barely felt him stepping beside her. Her heart raced. Her mind grasped for her solar crystal to come out and heal them. It didn't obey her.

"Neo!" Kailen ran towards his sister.

"Grab him!" Tao bellowed and pointed at Kailen.

Violet snapped out her vines, wrapping them around Kailen.

"What?! No!" Neo screamed. She ran forward.

"Neo! Don't!" Law said.

Neo felt his fingers brush against her wrist. He was unable to grab her. She summoned her earth and water crystals. Before she could attack the elementals knocked her back with wind, vines, and water while putting up a wall of fire to stop the pirates from rushing forward. She hit the ground, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.

"Neo!" Law rushed towards her, ignoring their shared pain shooting through their left shoulders. He knelt down and placed his hand on her. "Room!"

"Don't attack!" Neo screamed.

"What?!" Law gasped.

Pushing herself up to her feet, Neo looked at the elementals. They all stood ready to fight, a wall of nature preparing to bear down on them. "Tao! Leave him alone!"

"Like that's going to happen." Tao cocked his head to the side, his lips twisted into a dark grin.

"Don't worry, Neo," Kailen said. His crystals appeared around him. In a swift moment he took control of Violet's vines and ripped them away from his body. "I'm not going down without a fight. Let's do this!" Shifting his crystals, he shot out thorns at several elementals.

"Wind elementals!" Tao said. "Block them!"

The wind swirled around the elementals, protecting them from the thorns Kailen had shot at them.

Kailen cursed under his breath.

"You poor sap," Tao said. "Did you think I had forgotten you are a healer? While you specialize in babies I know that you also remember the sleeping powders and thorns during your herbal lessons. You won't be putting anyone to sleep today."

Neo shivered. His voice was not the friendly voice she had come to know while grown up. It was dark, menacing. "Tao! Please! Stop this! Violet! Poppy! Lily! Fight it! Fight the darkness crystal!"

"Poor sweet little princess." Poppy shrugged. Her flames corralled the pirates into a group, keeping them separate from Neo and Law. "She doesn't know what to do."

Lily giggled, holding her friends aloft.

Neo looked to the once quiet and shy girl. She knew she could easily take out Lily with just her earth and water crystals. But Poppy and Violet were a different story. And with Tao so close by…it was impossible. Without the solar crystal to purify them there was no way they could win this fight. There were too many elementals.

"You could always fight us. You are the royal after all." Violet scanned her eyes over the pirates. "But as you stopped them from fighting us, I don't see that you will." She brought her eyes back to Neo then to Law. "Oh? Who's the hottie?!"

Neo almost snorted with laughter. Taken over the darkness crystal or not Violet was still boy crazy as ever.

"Violet," Tao hissed. "Focus."

"But we got what we came for," Violet said, her eyes trailing all over Law's body. "Why not enjoy the view? Or, better yet, why not take him too?"

Neo growled, stepping in front of Law. "Don't. You. Dare."

"The human is of no consequence," Tao said. "Grab Kailen and lets go."

"What?!" Neo watched as several elementals wrapped their vines around Kailen. Kailen fought back, pushing the vines away from him then dodging rocks when they tried to knock him out. Neo pushed water and threw rocks towards the elementals. But it was no use. There had to be at least twenty wind elementals pushing her attacks away. She was as helpless as a newborn baby.

Kailen suddenly went limp. A thin thorn stuck out of his neck.

"No…" Neo whispered as Kailen's body slumped forward.

Lily lifted Kailen up to them.

"If you want him you know where we'll be," Tao said before the elementals retreated.

Neo dropped to her knees. She watched helplessly as her brother faded farther and farther into the darkened sky. Darkness crept into her eyes. Her mind shut down. Her body gave out. Her eyelids closed over here eyes as she fell forward onto the ground.

"Neo!" the crew cried.

Law rushed to her side. Lifting her into his arms, he pressed his fingers to her neck. He sighed with relief to find she was still alive. "She's okay."

"What happened?" Bepo asked.

"The shock of losing Kailen was too much," Law said. "She's passed out."

"Why did she let us fight them?!" Penguin all but shrieked.

"Don't be stupid," Conner said. "We would have been dead if we did. Kailen and Neo couldn't even face them. And now we're down one elemental."

"Yeah…but…" Penguin dropped his eyes to Neo. He gripped his fists, piercing his skin.

Thunder rumbled above them.

"That storm is still here," Shachi said. "I thought it would leave after the elementals did."

"Maybe it's not them who's in control of it now," Conner said. "Maybe it's reacting to Neo."

"What do we do now?" Penguin said. "We can't leave her like this."

"Neo?" Law called. No response. He cupped her cheek. "Neo, open your eyes."

Nothing.

Another crack of thunder rumbled above them.

"I should get her inside." Law pulled her into his arms and stood up. He took one step before something wrapped around his ankle, stopping him. Looking down he found a vine had wrapped around him. "What the heck?"

"Ack!" Bepo said. "The forest is moving! What's going on?!"

Law turned to the forest. More vines and enlarged flowers slithered over to them. They slipped around Neo. When they tried to pull her away from him, he formed his Room and sliced them away. "Stop it! Leave her alone!"

The flora didn't listen. They continued to try and take Neo from him. And Law continued to cut them up.

"Captain!" Penguin said. "Don't! Let them take her!"

"What?!" Law glared at his subordinate.

"They're not going to hurt her! Remember she's part of nature!" Penguin said.

Law gritted his teeth. Reluctantly, he released his hold on her. The flora took her. A giant orange primrose sprouted out of the ground. She was placed upon it before the flora gathered around her as if they were protecting her. Several animals from the island also gathered around Neo, some curled against her while others stood guard.

"Captain, what's happening?" Bepo asked.

"I'm not sure. It looks like nature is protecting her," Law said.

"What do we do now?" Archer asked.

"We have no choice but to wait for Red Hair to get here." Law worked his way through the flora around Neo. They didn't try and stop him. Reaching Neo he placed his hand on her forehead. "Listen to me, Neo. I promise it's going to be all right. We'll get Kailen back. Just stay with us." He leaned closer and whispered, "I won't lose you. I won't lose someone I love. Not again."

…

The sun lowered in they sky. All night long Law remained close to Neo, watching her closely for any signs of change. Nothing happened. The storm above them never disappeared. The next day the women from the village came and went again before the area fell back into tense silence. Apparently, the women knew nothing of what happened until they came to deliver more food to the men. Law gave them a short version of what happened since Neo was lying there unconscious. Of course he left out the important details like who Neo really was and what all she could do. He didn't want to share those secrets without Neo's permission. He only told them Neo's people were after her since she witnessed a murder and they captured her brother before anything could have been done about it.

"Captain, are you sure it was a good idea to tell the women that Kailen was taken?" Bepo asked. He stroked his paw over Neo's forehead, hoping his touch would wake her up. Nothing happened. She didn't even stir.

"I had to tell them something. They would have been suspicious if we kept completely silent," Law said. "Neo's in a coma after all."

"Do you think Red Hair can wake her up?" Bepo asked. "I mean, why can't you?"

"I'm not surprised I can't do anything for her. She knows it's possible he could be dead when we arrive on Luminous," Law said. "Like I said already this is all just too much for her."

"Why did they even take Kailen?" Archer asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"You're right. It doesn't make sense," Conner said. "Neo has to go back to Luminous anyway."

"Probably to throw her off her guard," Law said. "They know Neo is the only one who can stop this darkness crystal."

"Are we going to Luminous?" Bepo asked.

"We will. Red Hair will help her when he gets here." Law nodded. Technically, he didn't know if Red Hair Shanks would be able to wake her up. All he knew was Neo was in pain. He could feel it. The pain was worse than when he lost his own family. Or maybe it just felt worse because he loved Neo differently than he loved his family. And there was their bond. That probably was making this pain a whole lot worse. Pressure has settled into his chest. He felt like he could hardly breath.

"Hey," Jean Bart said. "There's a ship coming this way."

"Who would be coming out here? The navy?" Bepo asked.

Law looked up towards the edge of the island. The crew had spent most of the night there incase the elementals had come back while others stayed close to Neo. But he knew they wouldn't. That Tao guy had said it all. They came back to get Kailen. He knew they were going to use him to lure Neo back to their home island, most likely for an ambush. It was an obvious tactic. One he knew Neo would have to walk into at some point in the near future anyway. He wasn't sure, however, if they had noticed Neo didn't use her solar crystal and only attempted to use two others.

Penguin pulled out his binoculars. "It's him! It's the emperor! Red Hair Shanks is about to land here!"

The crew jumped up from the ground. They all rushed towards the edge of the island to watch the large ship glide into the bay. Then, without warning, the two elementals on the ship lifted Shanks and a few of his crew to the island. The young crew took a step back from the older one.

Shanks eyes were intense, scanning them before he spotted Neo.

Law gripped his sword. He knew Shanks wasn't there to fight but he still felt like he needed to be on guard. The red haired man's haki was intense, almost over whelming. But they all remained standing as the emperor walked towards them, eyeing them until his intense dark eyes landed on Neo's unconscious body.

"What happened?" Shanks asked.

Law stepped forward. He told the older man what happened yesterday.

"I see." Shanks walked forward, through the wading vines until he got to Neo. He leaned closer to her. "Neo, it's time to wake up. You're not this weak. We're going to save your people and your brother. They _need_ you right now. _Now wake up_!"

The crew moved closer to watch what Neo would do. Slowly, the storm above them parted. The sun shove through the parting clouds as the animals scurried back to their homes. Neo's eyes parted.

"That's my girl," Shanks said.

Neo turned her eyes to him. Tears formed before leaking down her cheeks. "Godfather…" She launched herself into his arms. "Godfather! He's gone! K-Kailen's gone! They took him!"

"I know. It's okay," Shanks said stroking her hair. "I'm here now."

"But he's gone." Neo glanced up at him, tears pouring over her eyelids. Her body trembled uncontrollably against his. "They took him. They…they found us and took him."

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here any faster. But I'm here now and we'll get him back," Shanks said.

Neo nodded and pressed her forehead to his chest.

"But Straw Hat hasn't gained consciousness yet," Penguin said.

"That's right," Bepo said. "What are we going to do about him?"  
"We stay put," Shanks said.

"What?!" Neo gasped, looking up at him.

"We can afford to wait a little while longer," Shanks said. "You can't use your solar crystal. Heading straight for Luminous would be a bad idea."

"But Godfather," Neo said. "Kailen is…"

"He'll be all right," Shanks said. "As the young captain here has told me, it's obvious that they want you back on Luminous. And it's possible they noticed you didn't try to use your solar crystal. We are waiting until you get your crystals back."

Neo sighed but nodded. "What do we do first?"

Shanks looked around again. All the Heart Pirates were staring at them. "I think it would be best if we go to the ship."

"Why?" Neo asked.

"Less distraction there," Shanks said.

Neo glanced over at Law. He wore a deep frown on his lips.

"Is that really necessary?" Law asked.

"Maybe." Shanks smirked before nodding at the two wind elementals with him. Before anyone else could say anything, the two elementals had them on the emperor's ship.

"Did you really have to do that?" Neo frowned.

"Time will tell," Shanks said.

"Neo," Benn said.

"Hey, guys." Neo scanned her eyes over the crew. The only animal on the crew climb upon her shoulder, sensing her sadness, rubbed his monkey cheek on hers. "I'm sorry, everyone. I'm not feeling very playful or friendly right now."

"Don't worry about it, kiddo." Yasopp ruffled her hair. "We know what happened. We're not going to let Atlas get away with this."

Neo sighed. At the moment he was getting away with it. And it was all her fault. Tears poured from her eyes, she dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The crew shifted closer to her. Shanks knelt down and pulled her into his arm. He allowed her to cry for a few minutes before patting her on the back and lifting her from his chest. "All right. Let's get down to it." He shifted his position so he was cross-legged in front of her. "Tell me what happened."

"But you know," Neo said brushing away her tears.

"I know." Shanks nodded. "But I want to hear it from you. Every single detail from that day up to this point."

Neo took a slow deep breath. She really didn't want to relive that day but she did as she was told, only leaving out her romance with Law. Surprisingly, no more tears came. "And that's how we ended up here."

"Dang," Lucky Roo said.

"You've had some journey," Benn said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded.

"I see. Well, it sounds to me like you haven't come to terms with what happened," Shanks said.

"You sure about that, Captain?" Rockstar asked.

Neo looked to the man. He had a few more scars on his skin than she remembered from the last time she saw them.

"Elementals don't just become disconnected from their crystals," Shanks said. "And it's normal for people to suppress bad memories so they don't have to deal with the pain."

"But how do I get my crystals back then?" Neo asked.

"It appears that all you have to do is want to protect those that you love," Shanks said.

"I do want that," Neo said. "But nothing's happening."

"Have you forgiven yourself?" Shanks asked.

"What do you mean?" Neo blinked.

"Seeing the death of your parents is always hard," Shanks said. "But for you, it's even worse because you hold the responsibility of being a royal. It's plan as day you blame yourself for what happened to them. And now you're blaming yourself for your brother being taken."

"Well, it _is_ my fault!" Neo snapped. "I'm the royal! I should have sensed it darkness inside of Atlas!"

Shanks shook his head. "It's not that easy, Goddaughter. Not even for you."

Neo gasped, taken back by his words. "What…what do you mean?"

"Neo, my sweet child," Shanks said, smiling softly at her. "It's easy to see light in a room full of darkness. But it's impossible to see a little darkness in a room full of light. And that's what happened. The Atlas you grew up with blinded you with light. He schemed with the darkness until they reached their goal. There was nothing you could do about that. Even if we were there there's nothing we could have done to change anything."

"I don't understand," Neo said. "It is my fault."

"No." Shanks shook his head. "Once you understand that it wasn't your fault and you forgive yourself your crystals will come back. I'm sure of it."

"So she's just suppressing them?" Yasopp asked.

"I believe so." Shanks nodded.

"That's stupid though," Neo said. "I know I need my crystals to save Luminous, to save my people."

"You might know it, but you don't believe it," Shanks said.

Neo felt stung by his words. Her godfather, who seems always so understanding and comforting before was coming off harsh and distant.

"You are no longer a child, Neo," Shanks said. "I don't mean to be harsh, but you need to get this under control. Do you understand?"

"I'm not sure I do," Neo answered honestly.

"That's fine. Life can be very confusing," Shanks said. "It'll all become clearer once you've forgiven yourself."

Neo stared down at the deck while Shanks stood up and wandered off. The concerned stares from the rest of the crew stayed on her for a while before they finally broke away from her and did their normal tasks. For hours she sat there, thinking about what her godfather had said and what she was feeling inside. She still blamed herself for her parents' death. How could she not? She was the only one who could purify the darkness crystal. She should have seen it coming. She should have known.

"Hey." A hand tapped on her shoulder.

Neo looked up to see Benn smiling down at her. He placed a coat around her shoulders. Looking past him she noticed the sun had almost set.

"Come on," Benn said. "You've been out here for hours. It's time to eat."

Neo nodded. Standing up she excused herself to use the bathroom. Stepping into the ship, her nose was hammered with the familiar stink of the crew's body odor, mold, and aging wood. It wasn't the best smell in the world, but it brought pleasant memories of her childhood back to her. Many times she's been on this ship, sailing around Luminous, pretending to be a pirate with her godfather and the crew. A smile came to her lips.

She quickly used the bathroom in her godfather's room before scurrying up to the galley. A plate was waiting for her. She, like always, sat beside her godfather, on his left side, opposite of Law. Her heart clenched. This was going to be the first time she's eaten without the crew around since she and her brother took up residence on the sub. It made her stomach empty. She wanted to go eat with them but stayed and listened to the stories to crew was speaking about since the last she's seen them.

…

Neo stared out at the sub. Due to it raining earlier in the night the crew was inside instead of sleeping out on the island like they had been. Her entire being wanted to go be with Law. This was the first night they had spent apart from each other since she and Kailen first stayed on the sun. She wanted to _see_ him, to touch him. She had spent hours in her godfather's bed trying to sleep. When it was obvious she wasn't going to she slipped out of his room, careful to not wake him up, and came out on the deck. She should go to him or at least to the rec. room. She'd be able to sleep there.

"I never thought I'd see the day."

Neo jumped at Shanks' unexpected voice breaking into the quiet night. She turned to him. "Wh-what?"

Shanks chuckled, crossing his arm over the railing.

"What day?" Neo asked when he said nothing.

"The day my little goddaughter found someone to love," Shanks said.

Heat rushed over Neo's cheeks. She dropped her eyes to the water. "Wh-what are you talking about? I'm not in-"

"Don't bother trying to deny it," Shanks said. "I can see it plan as day. The way he was looking at you earlier, the way you looked to him when I said you were coming here, the way you're pining for him now…"

"I'm not pining for him," Neo grumbled.

"You're so cute when you try to lie," Shanks said. "Here it is, well past midnight and you're out here staring at his sub. Besides, I've seen you with guys you have no interest in."

Neo growled. "Why am I so easy to read?"  
"You always have been," Shanks said. "So tell me, have you two had sex yet."

"Godfather!" Neo's face burned red.

"Just making sure." Shanks smiled.

"You are impossible!"

"But you have kissed," Shanks said.

"Maybe."

"And you've been in his bed."

"Maybe." Neo wondered if sitting on his bed qualified for _have been in his bed_.

"And you want to have sex with him."

"Godfather! Please!" Neo turned on her heels in an attempt to march away.

Shanks grabbed her and pulled her back. "Sorry. I just want to know where you two stand. I'm in the right to be concerned considering what would happen to you if you did have sex out of marriage."

"I know, Godfather." Neo turned her face to his chest so she didn't have to look at him. "And he knows now. I've told him everything."

"Good." He stroked her hair. "But I'm still going to threaten him."

Neo groaned. "Must you?"

"I must. You're my goddaughter," Shanks said.

"Then you might as well know." Neo pulled back from him. "We've…we've sort of bonded."

A pause. "I see. And when did this happen?"

"Months ago." Neo turned back to the railing, crossing her arms over it. Shanks mimicked her. "He told me about his parents and sister. They were killed too. Though I'm not sure if I should tell you the whole story."

"That's fine. You don't have to," Shanks said. "It's clear you two bonded over that."

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "And, honestly, I am in love with him. I just don't know what to do about the elementals now."

"Well, since you're bonded with him it's not like they can force you to stay on Luminous," Shanks said.

"But they can," Neo said.

"No," Shanks said firmly. "They can't. You can leave with him. It's your choice."

"But Mother and Father…"

"Would want you to be happy," Shanks said. "You know they've always wanted you to be happy."

"Sometimes it didn't feel that way," Neo said. "But they were right. This world out here is far more dangerous than I had realized. I'm sorry about that."

"You don't have to be," Shanks said. "They knew you were young. You're allowed to make mistakes."

"And what if I make the wrong one now?" Neo whispered.

"Then it will be your mistake," Shanks said. "It's something we can't avoid. And you know very well that being bonded to him changes everything. You remember the stories, right?"

"About Bayan and Zelenia?" Neo nodded. "I remember."

"Then can you truly say you know you'll see Law again if you stay on Luminous?" Shanks asked.

Neo was unable to answer. Not because she didn't have one, but because he walked off before she could give it to him. She watched him. His boots thumped against the deck before he disappeared into the ship. Her eyes drifted back to the Polar Tang. It sat in the moonlight, looking slightly out of place in this cove. Her mind ran over the thought of never seeing that submarine again then the crew and then Law. Ice engulfed her heart. Summoning a water crystal, she created geysers. The water was cold on her bare feet as she traversed the fifty yards that separated her and her bonded. Landing on the wooden deck she rushed for the still open door, knowing it was left open for her. The halls were silent. Since they had to cross the calm belt to get here there was no need for someone to stand guard. No one could get to them here, pirate wise.

The closer Neo got to his room the more her heart pounded. She paused at his door to get control over her heart and rapid breathing before silently pushing the door open. The room was dark but for a small sliver of a moonbeam leaking into the porthole. Slipping over to the bed, she paused and looked down at Law. Her eyes fell to his chest. His blanket was down around his hips, giving her a beautiful view of his tanned, tattooed, and toned chest. Fingers twitching with desire to touch him, she reached for him. Suddenly, a strong hand clasped around her wrist, the room flipped upside down, she was on the bed, and Law was hovering over her, his eyes glinting in the shadows.

"Well, well, look who's sneaking into my room," Law said, his lips twisting into a mischievous smirk. "Hasn't anyone ever told you how dangerous it can be sneaking into a pirate's bedroom while he sleeps?"

"How did you…?" Neo trailed off when he leaned down to her ear.

"Do you have any idea what I can do to you right now? The ideas that are running through my head?"

Neo shivered, her mind working on several scenarios to that sentiment. She licked her lips. She knew exactly what he was thinking. He had shone her before, back when they were alone on her rock formation when she saved him from the sea.

Law sighed, lying beside her. "But I know I can't."

"Being royal really sucks at times," Neo said.

"I know." Law brushed the back of his fingers over her arm.

"What are you still doing up?" Neo turned her eyes to him.

"What are you still doing up?" Law said back.

"So you were having a hard time sleeping as well," Neo said.

"I take it this has something to do with our bond?" Law asked.

"It might be," Neo said. "It has to be. This was, after all, the first night we've spend so far apart."

Law nodded, his fingers still brushing over her skin.

"There is something I wanted to tell you," Neo said.

"And what's that?"

"I've thought about it and thought about it," Neo said. "And I've decided that…" She paused, suddenly unsure if Law would feel the same way about her decision. Despite being bonded to him she really didn't have the right to make such a life changing decision without talking to him about it first.

"What is it, Neo?" Law asked.

"I was just thinking," Neo whispered. "If we're having such a hard time being apart from each other for just one night…how are we going to handle…" She bit her lip, unable to continue. Her eyes dropped from his.

"Are you asking me to stay with you on Luminous?" Law asked after a few moments of silence.

"No." Neo shook her head. "You were meant to be a pirate. That's why you're here."

"Then are you…"

Swallowing, Neo brought her eyes back to his. "I want to stay with you, Law."

"What about your people?"

"I know they're going to be upset about my decision, but I don't care," Neo said. "I want to stay with you. There's nothing left for me on Luminous. After purifying the darkness crystal there's no reason for me to stay. I don't want to stay there. I want to stay with you." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she pushed him down onto the bed and straddled over his waist. Tears dripped from her chin, falling onto his chest. "Please, Law. I don't ever want to be away from you again. I'll die if I stay on Luminous. I'll die not knowing if you'll ever come back to me. This world, these oceans…they're so dangerous. I want to stay with you. I want to help you and the crew. You mean far too much to me, Law." Neo looked him straight in the eyes. "I love you, Law. I'm _in_ _love_ with you." She waited. Seconds past painfully slow as he just stared back at her. When he didn't answer, she shifted to get off of him. Before she knew what happened, Law pulled her down, capturing her lips. Her white glow engulfed her, spreading over to Law's body. She closed her eyes.

His warm tongue tangled with hers. His hands ran up and down her sides, both in and out of her shirt, for several minutes before they parted for air. "I'm in love with you too."

Neo smiled, her tears turning to happy ones. She leaned down and kissed him as her glow faded away from them. Several more minutes past before they finally decided they needed to get some sleep. Keeping her left leg draped over his, she slide to the bed, snuggled up half on his chest. "It's going to be very difficult to get the elementals to accept this."

"Don't worry about that right now," Law said, stroking her hair. "We'll think of something later. For now get some sleep. You have to get your solar crystal and then your brother back."

Neo nodded, closing her eyes as she allowed Law's scent to lull her to sleep.

…

"Hey, Law?" Neo, sitting on the sink while Law went through his morning route, kicked her feet back and forth.

"Yes?" Law mumbled around his toothbrush.

"How did you forgive yourself for not being able to save your family?" Neo asked.

Law paused and looked at her, surprised at her question. "Where did that come from?"

"Godfather says the reason I can't use my crystals is because I haven't forgiven myself for not being able to save them," Neo said.

"I see." Law turned back to the sink.

"I've been trying to figure it out since Godfather told me all that last week," Neo said. "But I don't see how I can forgive myself. My parents died because of me."

"I'm not sure I can help you with that since our ages and situations are different," Law said.

Neo sighed. Leaning forward she rested her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. "At this rate I'll never figure it out."

"You will." Law stepped in front of her.

Neo looked up, getting a spearmint flavored kiss from him.

"What I'd like to figure out is why you've started wearing my clothes," Law said.

Neo smiled. Every since she came to him last week she started sleeping in his room and wearing his shirts. They also learned the following day that their new bonding experience allowed them to sense where the other was. "You love me in your clothes."

"I do." Law smiled, slipping his hand up under her shirt to rub her side. "I'd love you even more if you were out of them."

Neo flushed. "Maybe one day."

"It will happen one day," Law said before walking out of the bathroom.

Neo sat there, stunned at his words. Coming to her senses she hopped off the sink and followed him. "Law, did you just propose to me?!"

Law shot her a smirk from over his shoulder. "Do you want it to be a proposal?"

"Law! Don't answer my question with a question!" Neo stomped her foot on the floor. Though it didn't have the desired effect since she was barefooted.

After adjusting his shirt over his torso he put his hat on, grabbed his sword, and headed for the door.

"Law!" Neo followed after him. Instead of going to the galley they headed out to the island where they were having breakfast. Law continued to ignore her. She bristled as he formed his Room and warped them to the island. "Law! You're not going to get away with this!"

"What are you two fighting about this morning?" Rockstar asked when they had arrived.

"We're not fighting," Law said.

"Law proposed to me," Neo said.

The pirates immediately stopped what they were doing and shot their eyes to the couple.

Shanks frowned darkly at Law. "Oh, really?"

Neo smirked when Law frowned at her. "Now you have to answer me."

"No. I don't." Law turned and walked away.

"Did he really propose to you?" Penguin asked.

"I don't know." Neo shrugged. "We were talking about how he loves his clothes on me then said how he'd, um, love me more without them on."

Shanks growled.

Neo shrugged again. "I know, I know. No sex until marriage."

"I still find it hard to believe there's actually a restriction like that on someone," Conner said.

"It's all about purity," Benn said. "Her purity is connected to her solar crystal."

"Sounds too complicated," Conner said.

"Luckily the captain has good control over his body," Archer said.

"Are you saying you _want_ them to have sex?" Shanks turned his dark frown at a new target.

Archer yipped and sunk down onto the ground. "I didn't mean it like that!"  
"Godfather," Neo said with a sigh. "Please don't scare my friends like that."

Shanks didn't move or let up on his dark mood.

"Get use to it, Neo," Yasopp said. "He's going to be like that now."

Neo nodded. She knew it would happen. Shaking the issue of her protective godfather and Law's…whatever it was…out of her mind, she stepped up to their fire and started helping the cook of Red Hair Pirates. Before long they had their breakfast finished and everyone was eat. Law was still keeping his distance from her. It didn't bother her so much now. It gave her time to think about the conversation that happened between him and her inability to get her crystals back. She wondered, if she could take care of the darkness crystal, would she really say yes to Law? Assuming that he was going to ask her to marry him. She knew she really did love him; she was in love with him. And he was in love with her. Maybe it was a bit early for that kind of thinking. They haven't known each other for a year yet. But they could still wait. It wasn't like they had to get married right this second or tomorrow. Then her parents came to her mind. She wondered what they would think of Law, of their only daughter, their royal daughter, wanting to be with a pirate and being bonded with him. It only caused more confusion for her.

"Are you going to eat or just sit there staring at your food?" Shachi's voice broke into her thoughts. Neo looked up to see several people were staring at her. "You okay?"

"Fine," Neo said. "I was just thinking about some stuff." She paused then placed her bowl of uneaten oatmeal on the ground and stood up. "I need some time alone. I'm going to go for a walk through the forest."

"Neo?" Shanks asked.

"It's fine, Godfather." Neo smiled before heading for the forest. She slipped passed the curtains the women had set up and was surrounded by the comforting and familiar smells of the forest.

…

"Are you sure it's okay to let her go off by herself like this?" Penguin asked as Neo disappeared into the forest. "What if the elementals come back?"

"Yes," Shanks said. "She'll be fine. If the elementals wanted her they would have tried to take her."

"Why would she wander off at a time like this?" Bepo asked.

"She just needs to think," Shanks said. "I'm sure the things developing between her and your captain has raised quite a few questions." He looked over to the young captain. Law was also watching Neo disappear into the woods before turning away and letting his hat fall over his eyes. A smile pulled across his lips. Shanks turned away from him, already knowing where this was going to go.

…

Neo felt their eyes on her as she disappeared farther into the forest. She knew they were worried about her taking off on her own but she needed to. She knew she was safe. And she knew Law was keeping a close eye on her through their bond. She could feel him tracking her. It made her heart flutter, though it also confused her. Before, back on Luminous, it always bothered her that her guards were always following her around. Yet with Law, it was different. She loved how he kept track of her.

A bird tweeted and flew down to her. It landed on her shoulder.

Neo smiled at the bird and continued walking. Within a minute of walking through the woods, several animals were following her. She breathed in the smell of the bark, grass, animals, and flowers. The smell was different from Luminous but just as nice. Several minutes later she found herself at the edge of the island. It reminded her of the place she always went to get away from everyone. Though the cliff here wasn't as tall as the one back home. She sat down, letting her feet hang over the edge. Her eyes stared out at the horizon. With a deep breath she started talking. "Mother…Father…it sees so long ago when we lost you. And, yet, somehow it still feels like it happened yesterday." She paused, her godfather's voice seeping back into her mind. She closed her eyes in an attempt to forgive herself.

The wind blew, teasing her hair as she breathed in the salty air. And on that wind a familiar tune came to her mind. With it was the soft singing voice of her mother. _"Here in this dark night. You are really frightened. But I'll wrap my arms around you. There's nothing for you to fear. The storm will soon pass by. Then the sun will be shining. So carry on. You are strong. Little wings will fly you high. High above the storm clouds."_

 _With wet eyes Neo looked up at her mother. Mari smiled down at her as she continued to sing her song and rocked the crying child. Neo snuggled into her mother's chest. Her nightmare faded away from her mind with each word her mother sang to her._

 _"Feeling better now?" Mira asked._

 _"Yes, Mommy," Neo said with a sniffle. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you all."_

 _"Neo, don't be silly," Mira said. "It was only a bad dream."_

 _"But it felt so real," Neo said._

 _"I know. They can often do that," Mira said. "But even if it was real you don't have to feel bad."_

 _"Why? I'm the royal. I'm suppose to save you all," Neo said looking up at her mother. "Everyone died because of me."_

 _"My sweet little princess," Mira said. "You might be our royal, you might be stronger than the rest of us, but that doesn't make you perfect. This world is unpredictable. Bad thing will happen even here on Luminous. When they do happen don't blame yourself. All you can do is the best you can. And that's always good enough. Do you understand?"_

 _"I think so." Neo rubbed her tired eyes. "I'm sleepy."_

 _"Then sleep." Mira stroked Neo's hair as she drifted off to sleep._

Neo recalled that night clearly. It was the first nightmare she had, or that she could remember. She had dreamed that humans came to their island and enslaved them all then killed them. Even though she was only eight years old at the time she had blamed herself for what happened in her nightmare. And while she told her mother she understood, she really didn't. But she did now. Tears flowed from her eyes. "Mother…I'm so sorry. I can't believe I forgot about that night. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you and Father. But I understand now. Godfather, Law, and everyone else are right. I've been holding myself responsible for not doing what I was supposed to. This darkness crystal is different. Things happened differently than they should have. And now Kailen is in danger. But I will save him. I will release our people from the darkness crystal."

The wind picked up, wrapping around her in a cool embrace. "You and Father should also know that your little girl has fallen in love. I don't know if it's going to bother you, but he's a pirate. A captain of his own crew called the Heart Pirates. He's amazing, they all are. Though Law is a bit rough around the edges. And we didn't get along at first, but we have bonded. Twice now. First we could feel each other's pain. And now we can sense where the other is. It's amazing. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I know it's going to be difficult to convince the elementals that I'm staying with him and the crew. But that's what's going to happen. I can't leave them now. They mean so much to me."

The wind stopped. She felt her parents' presence around her. She felt as if they heard her. She felt that they understood her. "You two did always want me to be happy. And this will make me happy. I belong with Law and the crew."

Neo opened her eyes. Several sparkles had appeared around her. Within seconds the sparkles turned into crystals. The largest was her solar crystal. It hovered in front of her, as beautiful as she always remembered it to be. Smiling, she summoned her wings and headed back to the pirates. She dropped in on them, surprising a few that weren't expecting her.

"Neo! You're back!" Penguin ran over to her with the rest of the crew. He paused, his eyes locking onto hers.

"What?" she asked.

"Your eyes are…" Penguin said.

"What about them?" Neo blinked.

"They're electric blue," Jean Bart said.

"They're back to their normal color," Shanks said.

"They're beautiful." Bepo blushed.

Neo smiled. "Thank you, Bepo."

"I never would have guessed someone's eyes could change colors like that," Conner said.

"I believe it." Archer smiled.

"Of course you do." Conner rolled his eyes before movement behind them caught his attention.

Shanks, with the rest of his crew, walked up to Neo. At the same time they took to their knee and bowed to her. Shanks lifted his head. "It's good to see you again, Princess Neo of Luminous."

Neo couldn't stop her bright smile spreading over her lips, her wings flicked with excitement. "It's good to be back, Godfather." Her eyes turned to Law when he came closer. "Hey."

"Hey." Law smiled. "Looks like you've forgiven yourself."

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "I have."


	26. Elementals & Pirates

Elementals & Pirates

Neo sat with her chin resting in her hands. Her eyes ran along with Luffy as he dashed about the island screaming for his brother. Whenever Luffy tripped and fell to the ground the crew would pounce on him in an attempt to hold him down so he wouldn't reopen his wounds. But he always threw them off with another cry for his brother.

Her heart went out to him. She knew what he was going through. She had witnessed his brother's death just like she had witnessed her parents' death. Her eyes wandered over to her godfather's ship. None of them were on the island when Luffy had woken up. She didn't think it mattered. Luffy was mentally far too gone to notice much of anything around him. She turned back to Luffy when he screamed again. Her heart broke and went out to him again. "Isn't there anything we can do for him?"  
"I'm a doctor," Law said. "I've done all I can."

Neo sighed. No one seemed to have an answer for them. No one knew how to help Luffy now.

"There might be something I can do," Jinbe said.

Neo and Law looked up at him. The fishman's wounds had healed a lot faster now that she had her solar crystal back. She used it on him then turned it on Luffy. But with Luffy's running around so wildly she couldn't help him much. Without another word the fishman headed towards Luffy. He grabbed the young man by his neck and pulled him into the forest. "I hope he'll be okay. What do you think Jinbe's going to do to him?"

"Who knows?" Law said.

Neo looked at him. He was holding Luffy's hat in his hand.

"What about you?" Law looked up at her.

"What do you mean?"  
"You have your solar crystal back," Law said. "Are we going to Luminous now?"

"I don't know. I really want to get my brother back, but I'm still unsure of leaving Luffy like this," Neo said. "I'm so torn."

"Straw Hat will be fine," Law said. "It's his decision where he goes from here."

"Well, I guess there's nothing much to do here then," Neo said. "We might as well pack up and go. I'll go talk to Godfather." Summoning her wings, she flew away from Law and went to her godfather's ship. Shanks was sitting outside on the deck when she arrived. "Godfather."

"I see you're ready to leave," Shanks said.

"Not really," Neo said. "But we have to."

"How's Luffy?" Lucky Roo asked.

"Jinbe took him into the forest. I'm not sure what he's going to do but I think Luffy will be fine now," Neo said.

"Then get your friends ready to leave," Shanks said. "We're heading to Luminous."

Neo nodded. "There's still one think I want to do before we leave. It won't take long. So go ahead and get the ship ready."

"Sure thing," Shanks said.

Neo flew back to the island. The crew looked at her as she walked over to Law. "Get ready to set sail."

The crew instantly got up and started gathering their things.

"Hey, they're suppose to be my crew," Law said with a light smirk.

"Well, they maybe _your_ crew but I'm their favorite." Neo leaned down and pecked his lips. "And yours."

"You got that right." Law smiled.

Neo pulled Luffy's hat from his hand.

"What are you going to do with that?" Law asked.

"I can't leave here without talking to Luffy first." Neo looked to the forest. Luffy's cries had disappeared.

"Be careful. He's still not in a good state of mind right now," Law said. "He might try and hurt you."

"He won't. Shanks is my godfather," Neo said. "And I have my crystals." She kissed him again before heading into the forest. She had planned on sensing out where they were since Luffy was rubber and the fishman was a fish, but the mess Luffy left behind made it easy for her to follow. It took a few minutes for her to reach them. When she did Luffy was crying and lifting one finger up at a time like he was counting something. She gave him a few more minutes before making her presence known to them.

"Hm? Who's that?" Luffy asked when he saw her.

"Princess Neo," Jinbe said.

"Princess?" Luffy scanned his eyes over her body.

"Just Neo. Please." Neo walked over to them. She looked down at Luffy. With a nervous gulp she said, "Monkey D. Luffy."

"Yeah. How do you know my name? Have we met before?" Luffy tilted his head.

"Sort of. I was on Sabaody. I was in the auction house when you broke in to save your mermaid friend," Neo said. "I wanted to talk to you then but, well, considering everything that happened it didn't work out so well."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Luffy asked.

"There's a lot actually," Neo said fingering his hat.

"Hey! You have my hat!" Luffy smiled.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Law and I have been keeping an eye on it while you've been…" She paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up…"

"It's okay," Luffy said. "I've come to terms with the fact Ace is gone. I still have my crew. And I'll be with them soon."

"So you're feeling better?"

"I am." Luffy nodded.

"I'm glad." Neo smiled.

"So what do you want from me?" Luffy asked.

"Mostly I just wanted to meet you." Neo walked over to him. Kneeling down she handed him his hat. "We have a common connection."

"We do?"

"You know Shanks," Neo said.

"Of course I do!" Luffy's grin was big and bright. "He's a good friend of mine! How do you know him?!"

"He's my godfather," Neo said.

"What?! Wait! I think I remember him talking about you once before!" Luffy said.

"If he did then that means he trusts you with me," Neo said.

"Amazing! I get to meet Shanks' goddaughter!" Luffy said. "But what are you doing here? Don't you live somewhere far away?"  
"It's a long and complicated story," Neo said. "One I don't have time to tell you about now. But I'm hoping to tell you in the future."

"Sure! I can wait!" Luffy nodded.

"I'm just glad I got to finally meet you," Neo said. "Godfather has spoken about you a lot."

Luffy just continued to smile.

"Well, I have to go," Neo said.

"So soon?" Luffy asked.

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "My brother and people need me now. I have to go help them." Her mind wandered back to her godfather and crew. She wanted to tell him his favorite crew was so close, but she knew Luffy nor her godfather wanted to break their promise. "Well, take care of yourself, Luffy."

"You too." Luffy nodded. "And I'll see you soon!"

"Yeah." Neo smiled. She waved to Jinbe. "Take care of him."

"Of course." Jinbe nodded.

Neo gave Luffy one last look before heading back to the cove. Coming upon them she was surprised to find an extra body standing with the crew. "Rayleigh?"  
"Hey, Princess," Rayleigh said. "I see you managed to find Shanks."

"In a round about way." Neo walked up to the gathered group. Shanks and the two wind elementals were now standing on the island. "What's going on?"  
"We were just discussing Luffy's future," Shanks said.

"Oh?" Neo inquired.

"You have nothing to worry about," Rayleigh said. "I'm going to take care of him from here on out."

"Just make sure he gets plenty of rest for the next two weeks," Law said. "After that he can do whatever he wants."

"Sure thing. Thanks a lot," Rayleigh said.

"Do I want to know what you have planned?" Neo asked.

"Don't you worry about it," Rayleigh said. "You go on now. You have your own battle to worry about."

"Fine." Neo sighed. She looked to the pirates. "Let's go."

They nodded. The elementals gathered the pirates up and lifted them back to the ship and sub. A few minutes later, the two water vessels took off.

…

Neo fiddled with her fingers. Her eyes locked onto the crew and the two wind elementals as they continued their training together. Since she had brought the younger crew to her godfather's ship she hadn't removed from her perch on the railing. Occasionally, she would throw in an obstacle with her crystals. The crew was getting better at avoiding her attacks but it was clear they wouldn't be completely ready for when they arrived on Luminous. They just didn't have enough time.

"You've got to stop worrying," Benn said sitting beside her. "You're going to make yourself sick."

"I know," Neo said. "I just want this to be over with."

"We'll get there soon enough," Benn said. "Try and relax."

"I need a distraction of some sort," Neo said just before the emperor ship disappeared and the sub deck reappeared in its place. "Law!"

"What?" Law smirked.

"I was in the middle of a conversation!" Neo planted her hands on her hips. "And I was still training the crew!"

"You were sitting there pretending to train the crew," Law said.

Neo crossed her arms and frowned. True she hadn't had her whole mind in on the training, but she was still doing it. "What do you want?"  
"There's something I need to give you." Law turned and headed into the sub.

Neo turned back to the ship. She shrugged when Benn looked at her. He waved then slipped off the railing, disappearing somewhere she couldn't see. Turning she followed Law into the sub and all the way to his room. He closed the door behind them when she entered. "So what did you want?"

Law held up his hand. Smoke swirled around his palm before spreading out over the area. "Room. Shambles."

Neo blinked when her birth medallion appeared in his hand. "Where was it hidden?"  
"Inside my mattress," Law said.

Neo groaned, rolling her head back. "No wonder I couldn't find it."

Law chuckled and sat down on his bed, resting his sword against the wall. "It was the best place I could think of to hide it."

"A place I never thought to look." Neo sat down beside him. She took the medallion from him when he handed it to her. The medallion was warm in her hand.

"You know, you haven't yet told me why this necklace is so important to you," Law said.

"I guess I never did," Neo said. "Well, for starters, it's not a necklace. I mean not really. It's my birth medallion."

"Birth medallion?"

"It's a gift, of sorts, made only for royals when they are born," Neo said. "It's also a symbol of my birthright."

"I'm sorry," Law said. "I didn't know it was so important to you."

"It's okay." Neo shook her head. "You didn't know. And we weren't exactly friends back then."

"We're not exactly friends now." When Law said that her eyes whipped to him, worried he was going to push her away from him. Before she could say anything he chuckled and kissed her. "Don't worry. I just mean we're more than friends. Or I hope we are. I know we've said certain _things_ to each other, but we've never really said what we really are."

Neo giggled, her bells filling the room. "Well, that's your fault. You're the one who kind of, sort of, proposed to me."

Law smirked. "Well, _if_ I did propose to you what would you say?"  
"Well, _if_ you are proposing to me I'd have to say yes," Neo said.

"That's what I thought," Law said.

"So we're engaged?" Neo asked.

"Yes," Law said.

Neo's heart fluttered wildly. Her eyes turned down to her birth medallion. Her thumb brushed over the smooth material. Turning back to Law, she placed it around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Law asked.

"I want you to have this," Neo said. "Just in case I don't make it through this."

"Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine," Law said. "And we're going to get married."

"Either way I want you to keep it," Neo said.

"After all this time of screaming at me to give it back to you." Law shook his head, smirking. "I should have known you'd thrust it right back at me."

"I didn't _thrust_ it back." Neo growled. "I'm _giving_ it to you. There's a difference. Think of it as an engagement ring until you can actually buy me one."

"If it was an engagement ring then you should be wearing it not me," Law said.

"Well, it's not like it's _your_ medallion so _you_ can give it to _me_!" Neo frowned.

"I know." Law pecked her lips. "I just wanted to see you riled up."

Neo growled again. "You are impossible!"

"You love it."

"I do." Neo smiled. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she straddled his legs and pushed him down onto the bed. "I get the feeling you did this now because I needed the distraction."

"Why would you assume that?" Law's own grin grew.

"Shut up and get on with distracting me." Neo leaned down and kissed him.

…

Neo exhaled slowly. Her hands trembled as her feet carried her back and forth from wall to wall in the rec. room. They were close, so close. She could feel it and the darkness that surrounded it. Luminous was only a few minutes away. They would arrive very shortly. This was it. It was time to purify the darkness crystal as well as her people, and save her brother. She didn't know if she could do it. Her stomach churned. "I'm going to be sick."

"Well, if you keep pacing like that and thinking like that of course you're going to be sick," Shanks said.

"When did you get here?" Neo paused and looked at him.

"You haven't noticed much these past few minutes." Shanks stepped farther into the room.

Neo couldn't help but notice he look very out of place in these steel walls. She figured it was because she was use to seeing him on a ship instead of a sub.

"Some of your friends were worried about you. They kept talking to you but all you did was pace around and mumble to yourself," Shanks said.

Neo looked to the door. Peaking inside was Penguin, Shachi, Bepo, and Archer. They smiled and waved at her before disappearing down the hall. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was that nervous."

"It's going to be all right, you know," Shanks said.

"I hope so," Neo said. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt. Well, I know that's not going to happen. I just don't want anyone to die because of me."

"Neo, death is just a part of life," Shanks said.

"I know." Neo dropped down on the couch. She leaned against his side when Shanks joined her. "I know."

"And you know that everyone is here because they want to be here," Shanks said. "We all love you very much. Though that rotten captain could love you less."

"Godfather!"

"Sorry," Shanks said. "I know you two are a couple. And you're going to leave with him once Luminous is taken care of."

"How angry do you think the elementals are going to be?" Neo asked.

"Very." Shanks slipped his arm around her waist. "But it's your life and your decision. Just remember you're the royal. And you're an adult now. You can make your own decisions."

"Thanks, Godfather." Neo pressed into him, breathing in his familiar scent. "Thanks for being here."

"Anytime." Shanks pressed a kiss into her hair.

A light knock on the door and Archer stepped inside. "We're almost there. We can see the island now."

Neo drew in a breath and stood up.

"Just relax," Shanks said standing up. "We've trained this crew as much as possible. And we have a plan. My crew will watch over them since we have more experience with the elementals. You just focus on the darkness crystal."

"Okay. Let's do this." Neo headed for the door. The pirates followed after her. As they reached the deck the sub and ship slowed to a stop. Her eyes locked onto the dark misty haze surrounding her once beautiful home. The tips of the castle were sticking out over the trees as always. She figured that's where Atlas was going to be, probably Kailen too. Her attention was pulled away from the island when Law placed his hand on hers. She looked up at him. When he smiled she smiled back. "I'm ready for this."

The anchors were dropped.

"You two be careful," Neo said to the two wind elementals. "The darkness crystal is going to try and infect you."

"We'll be fine, Princess," Era said. "You focus on purifying it."

Neo nodded. With a slow deep breath, she wrapped her winds around the small group that was going with her while the other two elementals picked up the rest of the pirates. As planned the other two groups spread out over Luminous. The battle began instantly. Walls of fire and earth rose up to try and stop them. A few vines wrapped around some of the pirates and pulled them into the forest.

"Keep going!" Shanks said.

Neo only noticed then she hesitated, wanting to help the others. Shaking it from her head, she headed right for the castle. They were there in seconds. She lowered them to the ground. Her body tensed. Atlas, like they had thought, was waiting for them. He was sitting in a throne in front of the doors. Tao, Kailen, Violet, Poppy, and Lily were also standing with him. "Figures. I should have known you'd make me fight them."

"Princess." Atlas smirked. "So good to see you. Tell me…how are your parents?"

Neo flinched. Her nails pierced her palms.

"Calm down, Neo," Shanks said. "He's trying to get you unfocused."

"He's not going to succeed," Neo said. "Atlas, for the murder of my parents and treason against the royal, I'm going to take you down and banish you from Luminous forever."

Atlas chuckled. "Is that so? I guess we'll see. I have a powerful army backing me up. And all you have is pathetic little human pirates."

Law scoffed. "Well, these pathetic human pirates are here to kick your sorry hide off Neo's throne."

"Oh," Atlas drawled. "You told him about everything. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You did bring them here after all. Is he a pirate as well?"

"Enough!" Neo summoned her crystals. The solar crystal appeared right in front of her. She spread its healing glow over everyone and the island.

"You're not going to win!" Atlas waved his hands. The elementals beside him charged forward.

Neo shifted her crystals. She blocked the other's attacks. From the corner of her eyes she saw Tao cut around to the side. His water and fire flew at her.

"Room! Shambles!" Law called out.

Suddenly, Tao and Shanks disappeared.

Neo breathed a sigh of relief. She had forgotten that Shanks had said he would handle Tao. Now all she had to worry about were her friends and Kailen. Well, two of her friends. Law just warped Lily and Kailen away from her. Her mind wanted to worry about how everyone else was doing but she forced her mind on her own tasks.

"I've always wanted to fight you," Poppy said. She flared up her fire and shot it at Neo. "I want to know how I stand up against our precious royal."

"Well, you're going to be disappointed," Neo said, blocking the fire with her water crystals. "I'm only going to fight you until I can purify you all."

"Not going to happen," Violet said. Lifting up the ground under Neo's feet she tried to push Neo off her feet.

Neo lifted herself into the air with her winds. She then wrapped her winds around Violet and Poppy, lifting them into the air as high as she could. Taking a moment she looked down to the island. Several battles had broken out. She could feel the disruption on her home island. The entire island and the animals that lived there were trembling in fear and pain. She had to end this. Quickly. She turned to her friends. "I'm sorry."

"You will be!" Poppy hissed.

Neo flinched at the hate filled glares her friends were giving her through their dark tainted eyes. Moving her wind crystals to their mouths, she started pulling the air from their lungs. They gasped for air. Their arms and hands twitched in desperation to breath. Her heart ached that she had to do this to her friends, but she knew it was necessary. Their eyes rolled into the back of their heads. Their bodies went limp in her hold. She pulled back away the crystals pulling out their air. Moving forward she placed her fingers under their noses to make sure they started breathing again. She sighed heavily when their air brushed over her fingers and dropped back down to the ground, laying them down gently.

Atlas glared at her. His hand turned ghost white as he gripped his staff. "Pathetic weaklings. If my son were here you would already be dead."

"Say that all you want," Neo said. "But I would not return here until I knew we had a chance of defeating you."

Atlas relaxed and leaned back in his throne. "I blame myself for underestimating you. Honestly, I didn't think you'd ever reveal our secrets to other humans. It's disgusting. We already have too many despicable humans wandering this island. How dare you bring more?"

"How dare you murder my parents!" Neo screamed. Summoning her solar crystal again she spread it over the island. Her eyes drifted to the orb sitting on top of Atlas's staff. A dark aura pulsed around it. Realization hit her. The orb sitting there was new, or semi new. She didn't remember him having it there when she grew up. Somewhere along the way he had added it. The darkness from it pushed against her solar glow. She could feel the battle between them, darkness trying to over come the light. She scoffed. "Well, I feel extremely stupid. The darkness crystal has been under my nose this whole time. When did you put it there?"  
"It matters not," Atlas said, shooting water strips at Neo.

Neo blocked them and diverted them to harmlessly fall onto the ground. Then, much to her surprise, Atlas threw a punch at her. She dodged it. Grabbing his wrist, she flipped him over onto his back. Taking advantage of the movement, she increased her solar crystal over the island and her people. Nature stilled. The dark orb on Atlas's staff fizzled and turned clear.

"No!" Atlas screamed. "You little brat! You're going to pay for that!"

"Yeah. Right." Neo rolled her eyes. The old man was harmless now that her people were back to normal. All that was left was to see to those who were wounded. Her heart hammered. Her crews were in the middle of this. She took a few steps away from the castle when Law popped in front of her with her friends back to normal. Her lips spread into a smile before being abruptly cut off by a sharp pain in her left shoulder. Looking down she saw Atlas's staff sticking out of her shoulder and covered in blood. She caught a glimpse of Law's face twisting with anger before her legs gave out on her. As she fell she saw Law charge forward. He pulled out his sword and shoved the blade into Atlas's heart.

Atlas screamed before crashing to the ground, dead.

"Neo!" Kailen and Lily cried for her and rushed to her side.

"Neo! I'm so sorry!" Kailen said as he looked at her wound. "This is my fault!"

"Idiot." Neo coughed. "This isn't your fault. I shouldn't have turned my back on Atlas."

"Ne-Neo….jus…just 'old 'ill," Lily gasped through her tears.

"Lily." Neo took her hand and squeezed, shifting her solar crystals to her shoulder. "I'm fine."

Tears poured down Lily's reddened cheeks.

"Neo!" Law knelt down beside them. He pushed her shirt aside.

Neo hissed from the hot pain shooting through her shoulder.

"Sorry." Law pulled back, his own shoulder throbbing.

"Healer Zinnia!" someone yelled. "The princess has been hurt!"

Seconds later the healer appeared. Adjusting her glasses she knelt down next to Neo. "Princess!"

"I'm fine," Neo said. "Just a shoulder wound."

"Hurry! Get the princess to my ward!" Healer Zinnia ordered.

"I'll take her." Law lifted Neo into his arms.

Neo hissed again.

"Who are you?" Healer Zinnia said.

"It's all right, Zinnia," Shanks said as he and Tao rushed up to them. "He's a friend to Neo. Hurry and take care of her."

"Right." Healer Zinnia nodded then lead Law to her ward.

More pain shot through Neo's shoulder with each tiny bum that hit her body. The lights around her dimmed and she blacked out.

Law cursed under his breath. When he noticed where he was being taken too, he formed his Room and warped them there.

"What the heck?" the healer asked upon arriving suddenly in the quiet ward's waiting room.

"Just hurry," Law said. "Where now?"

Healer Zinnia rushed down the hall, guiding Law into an operating room that was filled with crystals machines similar to the ones he had on the sub.

Law only focused on Neo. He laid her down on the operating table.

"Now leave," Healer Zinnia said.

"I'm not leaving her," Law said.

"You can't stay here. Only ward personnel are-"

"I am a doctor!" Law hissed. "And I'm not leaving Neo's side until I know she'll be all right!"

Healer Zinnia clamped her mouth shut for a few seconds before sighing. "Fine. Just keep quiet."

A couple more elementals rushed into the room. Law flickered them a glance as they moved around the room and placed crystal patches on Neo. Time slowed. He watched them remove Neo's shirt and bra, covering her with a sheet before the healer woman started taking care of Neo's shoulder.

Law had no idea how much time had past, but he heard the healer sigh. The surgery had been completed. Neo's skin was now sewed closed, her skin clean of blood.

"She's going to be fine. There's no serious damage at all," Healer Zinnia said. "Let's get her a gown and move her into a recovery room." She looked at Law.

"Don't even think about telling me to leave her," Law said. "I won't do it."

"Fine. Do as you wish." Healer Zinnia headed for the door. "I'm going to go talk to Shanks to get the whole story behind all of this."

Law waited until Neo was ready to be moved. They transfer her to a gurney and pushed her down the hall. Once in a recovery room, the elementals put her in bed and left the room. He sat down on the bed and watched her sleep, unknowing how long it would take her to wake up.

…

Neo opened her eyes to the familiar feeling of Law's arm draped across her waist. Turning her head she found him smiling at her. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," Law said. "Do you know how worried I've been about you?"  
"Sorry. Have I been out for long?" Neo asked.

"Long enough," Law said before adding, "About six hours."

"The crew!" Neo's eyes widened.

"They'll live," Law said. "The elementals weren't an easy opponent to fight. Luckily no one sustained any life threatening injuries. Mostly bruises and some broken bones."

"I see. That's good." Neo relaxed into her pillow.

"They're very anxious to see you," Law said.

Neo smiled.

"And your people are being very stubborn about it," Law said.

"I can imagine." She looked at him again. "I'm a bit surprised to see you in here."

"They didn't want me in here," Law said, brushing his fingers over her arm. "But I wasn't going to let them take you away from me. I wanted to be the first thing you see when you woke up."

"And a great sight it is." Neo's smile grew. Her eyelids fluttered over her eyes as Law lend down and kissed her.

"Well, I have to admit," Healer Zinnia said, making them pull apart, "when Shanks told me you two were in love I didn't want to believe it. But here you are."

"Healer Zinnia." Neo sat up, wincing at the dull pain in her arm. "I'm glad to see you well."

"Thanks to you, Princess." The healer walked over to them and started checking Neo's bandage. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore," Neo said. She eyed her solar crystal. It was hovering beside her, healing her wound.

"That's to be expected." Healer Zinnia pushed up her glasses before planting her hands in her lab coat pockets. "I'll give you some more painkillers in a little while. For now I want you to rest."

"When can I leave here?" Neo asked.

"I'd like for you to stay a few days, but I'm sure you have things to do now that you're home," Healer Zinnia said. "So as long as you take it easy and come back to me immediately if your wound gets infected, I'll let you leave tomorrow."

"Thank you." Neo summoned another crystal. Engulfing its glow on the bed, she lifted the head of it.

Law's eyes went to the bed. "How did you do that?"

"Our element crystals are connected to the crystals that grow here on Luminous," Neo said. "We can shape them into anything we want. We can activate them with our crystal's glow to have them preform the desired task."

Law's eyes then wandered to the heart machine beeping beside the bed.

Neo saw his eyes light up with recognition.

"There's no wires," Law said looking to her chest where the crystal patches had been place.

"That's right." Neo nodded leaning back in her pillow. "We don't have technology here. We're all about nature, our crystals, and our magic."

"I see."

"So where's the crew?" Neo asked.

"Probably out in the hall waiting to hear you've awakened," Law said.

And just a second later most of the crew came into the room, their faces smiling brightly. "Neo!"

"Hey, guys," Neo said.

"We're so glad you're okay!" Bepo said with tears in his eyes.

"We were so worried when we heard what happened." Penguin leaned in and gave her a gentle hug.

"I'm fine," Neo said. "I'm glad you all are fine as well."

"Of course we are," Shachi said. "But I don't ever want to do that again."

"Don't worry." Neo laughed. "You won't have to. I know for sure the darkness crystal has been purified." She gasped. "Atlas!"

"He's dead," Law said. "After he stabbed you I killed him."

"Oh." Neo dropped her eyes to her blanket.

"You're not upset about that, are you?" Bepo asked.

"Not really," Neo said. "I know what he did was wrong, it's just…I guess it's still hard since I can't completely understand why he did all of this. I still trusted him after all." She paused. "How's Tao?"  
"He'll be fine." Everyone turned to Kailen as he walked into the room. Once close enough he hugged Neo. "I'm glad you're awake."

"Kailen!" Neo clung to her brother and cried. "I was so scared when they took you."

"I know." Kailen stroked her hair. "I'm glad you made it here. And that you got your crystals back."

Neo smiled at him when he pulled away. "Oh, before anything else, I need you to-"

"Don't worry about it," Kailen said. "I already have the cooks making the crews a meal and getting them rooms ready in the palace."

"We're staying in the palace?" Shachi asked.

"Of course," Kailen said. "The Red Hair Pirates will be too. You all need rest. The castle is the best place for that."

"Honestly, I was hoping to get a look at your home," Shachi. Silence fell over them. "I mean if it was okay with you two."

"Maybe," Neo said. "I'm not sure I'm ready to go back there yet."

"We understand." Penguin squeezed her hand. "The castle will be fine."

Neo nodded.

"Are you sure you're okay, Neo?" Bepo lend in a bit closer.

"Yes, Bepo." Neo nodded. "I'm fine. A little sore, but fine."

"I'm just glad it's over," Shachi said.

"Well, that part is over," Neo said. "There's still something left we have to do."

"And what's that?" Shachi asked.

"Getting the elementals to understand I'm not staying here," Neo said.

Kailen lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Neo said. "You should have seen this coming."

"I did," Kailen said. "I was just expecting you to say that _we're_ not staying here."

Neo stared at her brother.

"Oh, don't give me that look." Kailen smirked. "If you leave this island there's no way I'm not going with you."

Neo shook her head. "You're right. I should have known."

"When are you going to tell them?" Penguin smiled brightly, unable to hide his joy that she was going with them.

"I don't know," Neo said. "I'm sure we'll be using a few days of rest here." She looked at Law who nodded. "We'll figure out something. For now don't mention this to anyone."

"Right," the pirates said.

"Well, I must say that I'm not that surprised either," Poppy said. The pirates parted to reveal Neo's three friends standing at the door.

"I'm already sad that you're leaving," Lily said.

"I'm not that surprised either," Violet said, her eyes on Law. "He's cute."

"Violet!" Neo said.

"Oh, don't worry." Violet winked. "You know I'd never steal a friend's man."

"So how long have you three been here?" Neo asked.

"We've been here the entire time," Violet said.

"Your pirate friends here are amazing," Poppy said. "They've told us some of your adventures. We can't wait to hear more from you."

"Well, that's going to have to wait." Everyone turned to the healer. She was standing in the doorway, looking annoyed. "The princess needs her rest. All of you get out. The pirates are wanted in the castle. Your meal's ready."

The pirates turned to Neo and Law. Neo said, "Go on. You all must be hungry now."

They nodded, said their goodbyes and left the room just as Shanks entered.

"And you don't stay too long either." Healer Zinnia poked Shanks on the arm before leaving herself.

"Just came to check on you." Shanks kissed Neo's forehead.

"How's the crew?" Neo asked.

"Just fine," Shanks said. "You know how tough they are."

"Just have them get some rest now," Neo said. "I'll see them tomorrow. I think enough ward rules have been broken. Healer Zinnia's not happy."

"I noticed." Shanks headed for the door. "I'll have some food sent over for you two."

"Thanks."

…

Neo stared at her door as her friends laughter floated around her. Law was once again standing outside of her bedroom door. She should have known they wouldn't leave her alone when she returned. She should have known getting to sleep with Law wasn't going to happen like they wanted. This was the forth night her friends had caused her to miss out sleeping with Law. Well, it would have been if she didn't sneak out to his room after they had fallen asleep. And she would do it again tonight.

"I would have loved to have gone with you!" Poppy said. "Sailing the seas sounds so much fun!"

"You're just looking for more fights," Violet said.

"So? It still sounds fun. Fights or no fights," Poppy said with a shrug.

"I would have loved taking you all with me," Neo said bringing her eyes back to them. They were piled on her bed like they had done many times growing up. "But considering you were under the darkness crystal and my solar crystal wasn't working it wouldn't have been a good idea."

"I could go now," Poppy said.

"You wouldn't!" Lily squeezed her pillow to her chest, her eyes widened with worry.

"I might. It's so tempting now," Poppy said. "Besides, Neo's going to go."

Neo looked at her friends, wondering if she should tell them about her and Law bonding, twice. That was one thing she hadn't told them yet. She swallowed. "Well, it's fine if you want to go with us. I'm sure Law and the crew won't mind. But you should know that, in a way, it's also not my choice to leave."

"What do you mean?" Poppy plopped down on the bed.

"Law and I…we've bonded," Neo said.

"You what?!" The girls gasped.

"Twice. Actually," Neo mumbled.

"How is that possible?!" Lily said. "No one has ever bonded twice!"

"I'm not sure myself." Neo shrugged. "All I know is it happened."

"So what happened after?" Violet asked.

"The first time it happened gave us the ability to feel each other pain," Neo said. "And the second time allows us to sense where the other is."

"Amazing!" Violet squealed. "So romantic! I wish I could bond with someone like that!"

"Well." Poppy tucked her hands under her head. "At least I have a few weeks to think about it. Neither of the pirate crews are leaving before that. You could just run away and leave a note behind. You don't have to tell them you're bonding with Law."

"I can't do that," Neo said. "Not even with how frustrating living here has been. I don't want them to think or feel like I have abandoned them. I would never do that. Its just that I _need_ to be with Law now."

"I'm sure they'll understand," Lily said.

"Not hardly," Poppy said with a snort. "Royals are sacred here. It's not going to be easy for the majority of them to let her leave."

Neo sighed, adjusting the strap of her silk nightgown.

"Don't worry." Violet wrapped her arms around Neo's shoulders. "We'll think of something."

"You know we're here for you," Lily added.

"You bet!" Poppy nodded.

"Thanks, girls," Neo said. "You're the best."

"Now! Go to your man!" Violet said releasing Neo.

"What?" Neo asked.

"Don't ask us that. We know you've been sneaking out to go sleep with him," Violet said with a giggle. "We do on occasion have to get up and use the bathroom."

"I'm sorry." Neo flushed.

"Don't worry about it," Lily said placing her hand on Neo's. "We might not know what it feels like to be bonded with someone but we do understand your need to be near him."

"Okay, okay," Neo said. "I get it. But I want to stay with you all for a while longer. I've missed you all so much."

"And we've missed you!" Lily said as the girls engulfed each other in a group hug.

…

"There," Medina said putting the last curl in Neo's hair. She stepped back from the vanity and examined her work. "You're so beautiful!"

Neo stared at herself in the mirror. Her heart raced hard inside of her chest. This was going to be the first time the crew saw her in her formal royal attire. This was going to be Law's first time seeing her like this. It made her beyond nervous. Her hands continued to tremble in her lap. She had known this was coming. The elementals were going to celebrate the return of their princess and the purification of the darkness crystal.

It would have been sooner but Healer Zinnia had put her foot down and insisted the party wait until a week after Neo had been released from the ward. And that time had come.

"Shall we go?" Lyra asked. "Everyone's waiting for you."

"Very well." Neo stood up. She led the way from her room, down the hall and stairs, and into the ballroom backroom where she always waited to be announced. Her two maids gave her one last look over before rushing away. She drew in a beep breath before her arrival was announced. The curtain pulled back.

Neo flushed bright red when she stepped out into the ballroom. The crew whistled. Elementals clapped and bowed while a few gave the pirates some disapproving looks. Her eyes flickered to Law. He was staring, his mouth hanging half open.

"Wow! This is incredible!" Penguin said walking around Neo, inspecting her pure white dress and long bell shaped sleeves. "You look amazing! So beautiful!"

"Thank you." Neo shifted on her feet, hoping her tiara wouldn't fall off. Her three friends giggled behind her. She shot them a look of disapproval over her shoulder.

"Get use to it, Neo," Poppy said.

"It's so cute," Violet said.

Neo rolled her eyes. She should have prepared herself for all of this.

"Princess," Medina said. "Please."

"I know, I know." Neo turned from them and stepped up the two stairs that led to her throne. Pausing, she looked at it before turning to her people. Off to the side, a guard tapped his staff on the floor three times. The music faded, people turned towards her. "My people. It is good to see you all well. I hope that you all continue to be healthy and flourish now that the darkness crystal has been purified." The elementals clapped and cheer. She lifted her hand to silence them. "Please enjoy the festivities of the celebration. And be welcoming to our new guests. They are all very important to me as they risked their lives to bring your princess home."

Mixed murmurs of acceptance and uncertainty floated through the room. Neo ignored them as she descended down the stairs to join the pirates, much to the dismay of the elementals.

"Princess," Lyra said. "You should sit on the throne. It is where you belong."

"I will not," Neo said. "I will spend time with my friends." She waved her and Medina off. "Now go."

The two maids bowed and walked away, disappointed.

"Dang," Penguin said when she joined them. "Now I can really see why you were so scared to tell us who you really were. They really don't leave you alone."

Neo nodded. Before she could say anything else someone tapped her on her shoulder. Turning she found herself staring up at Tao. "Tao!"

"Princess." Tao wrapped her in his arms when she jumped into him.

"Where have you been?! I've been so worried about you!" Neo frowned as she looked up at him. "Why have you been hiding from me?!"

"I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry for what my father did. I didn't know how to approach you," Tao said. "But your brother wouldn't stop harassing me until I came here."

Kailen grinned when Neo looked at him.

"I was wondering where you disappeared to," Shachi said.

"It wasn't an easy task," Kailen said. "I didn't think we'd make the party."

"I'm really sorry, Princess," Tao said again. "I didn't know he was planning this. Honestly, I didn't know. If I did I would have stopped him."

"Shh. It's okay," Neo said. She took his hands in hers and squeezed them. "Even if you did know he would have just used the darkness crystal on you anyway. You wouldn't have been able to tell me anyway. It's not your fault at all. Please, don't blame yourself."

Tao nodded before wrapping her in a hug. "Welcome home, Princess."

Neo pulled back from Tao. Feeling Law's jealousy radiating from his body she glanced at him with a smirk.

Law frowned and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"The captain's jealous," Penguin whispered but not low.

Tao looked at the pirate captain then at Neo and then to Kailen. "I really didn't want to believe you."

"You told him?!" Neo squeaked.

"I had to," Kailen said with a shrug. "You know it's not going to be easy getting off Luminous now that you're back home. We might need his help."

Neo exhaled. Kailen had a point. If anyone was going to accept her leaving Tao was going to be one of them.

"Excuse me, Princess?"

Neo turned. Much to her surprise she found Raven bowing to her. "Raven."

"Who's Raven?" Penguin asked.

"Uh…" Neo wasn't sure how to answer that without Law getting even more jealous than he was.

"I'm here to apologize for my actions," Raven said.

"Actions?" Law said.

"Don't worry about it," Neo said. "The darkness crystal had control over you."

"I still wish to make up for it." Raven smiled at her and held out his hand. "Please, allow me a dance."

"Uh." Neo stared at his hand. She had no clue what she should do. She knew as a royal she should accept his offer but as a woman in love she knew she should refuse it. Before she could make a decision, Law was stepping between them.

"Sorry," Law said with a glare to the young man. "She's dancing with me."

"Huh?" Raven looked at Law for a split second before Law took Neo's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

"Do you even know how to dance?" Neo asked as she was pulled away.

"No," Law said. "But I'm not going to let him touch you."

"So possessive." Neo smiled. "Well, since you can't dance, I will be taking the lead now."

"You think so? Remember I don't like being told what to do," Law said.

"Shut up. And follow me." Neo took the lead. Placing Law's hand on her hip and taking his other in her hand, she guided him through the steps of the current song the orchestra was playing. Law did his best to follow but it became apparent he wasn't gifted in dancing as he was as a doctor. She giggled at his attempt to follow her signals.

"Shut up," Law said.

"I can't help it," Neo said. "It's so cute that you don't know how to dance but you're doing it anyway for me."

Law grumbled.

They danced two more dances before Shanks cut in. "Excuse me. But I must insist that I be allowed to dance with my goddaughter."

"Fine," Law said.

"You sure?" Neo asked.

"These boots aren't made for dancing," Law said. "I'm sure."

Neo nodded. Summoning her solar crystal, she healed his feet while Shanks pulled her along the dance floor. She danced with her godfather for a few dances before other pirates started to take their turns. A few hours later her own feet started throbbing from all the dancing. Bepo led her off the dance floor and over to Law. "Thanks, Bepo."

"Anytime. Now if you'll excuse me. The fish smells so good." Bepo wandered away from her sniffing the air.

"I'm so tired," Neo said. "My feet are killing me."

"Perhaps we should leave the party then," Law said.

Neo glanced up at him. "Easy for you to say. Everyone here always keeps a close eye on me. But I think it's a safe bet to say Godfather will keep them from following us this time."

"Well, good thing that I have my devil fruit then." Law smirked.

Before Neo could say more Law had warped them from the room to the gardens outside. "I so love you right now."

"Good." Law pecked her lips before taking her hand and hurrying her away from the castle.

Neo summoned her wind crystals and lifted them into the air. A few seconds later she sat them down on the deserted beach. She looked over her shoulder, expecting her guards to be there but they weren't. She kicked off her shoes before Law laced their fingers together. The waves lapped upon the beach as they strolled along in the moonlight.

…

Neo stood at her parents' graves with two bouquets of flowers in her hands. It took her two weeks to finally get herself to come here. Lily had informed her that she, Poppy, and Violet had buried her parents shortly after she and Kailen left Luminous. Neo was glad, though she was sure the burial wasn't done in good taste. She refused to let herself think about it, especially when Tao said that he had their burials redone and done properly. And now since it was getting closer to the time the pirates to leave this place, she knew she had to tell her parents she was leaving too before making the announcement later today.

She placed the flowers down on the graves then sat between them. "Hello, Mom. Hello, Dad. I'm home. Been here for a while. I couldn't bring myself to come see you until now. I'm sorry about that. I've been a bit afraid of coming here. It's like I'm losing you all over again. But I know I belong with Law and the crew. It's where I belong. I just hope the elementals understand that. Surely they will once they know we've bonded. I wanted to thank you two again for everything you've done for me and Kailen. We both love you so much. And I promise we'll come visit as soon as we can."

Neo sat there for a while long, telling her parents of the adventures she's had with the pirates before she stood up and left. She walked for a few minutes before lifting herself into the air with her wings. She flew all the way home. The Heart Pirates were going to meet her there so she could show them her home. She landed. Her eyes fell to the spot where her parents had died. Her heart and lungs seized up.

Law stepped over to her and took her hand.

"I'm okay." Neo nodded to Kailen.

Kailen opened the door and they entered.

Neo lead them around the house, heart breaking but her eyes remade dry, making her room the last stop. For a moment she was worried the house would be a mess. It wasn't. Someone had come and cleaned it at some point.

"So this is your room," Penguin said as he and the others looked around. "It's nice."

"Thanks," Neo said. "It was home."

"You sure you're ready to tell them?" Bepo asked.

"I am as ready as I can be. But first I'm going to cook you all a meal in this house!" Neo headed to the door and back downstairs. The sadness that swirled around in her chest remanded, but she was also enjoying being back home and cooking in the familiar kitchen. Before long her godfather and crew arrived. The Red Hair Pirate's cook and Penguin joined her since they had a lot of people to feed.

"What?! You knew about the minks?!" Neo gapped at her godfather across the yard. Since they had so many people they decided to just eat outside. It was a nice day as well so that had a lot of influence on the decision. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I didn't because I knew if you knew they existed you would have left Luminous without anyone with you," Shanks said.

Neo growled, taking an aggressive bite of her pear.

"I'm actually surprised Bepo didn't mention any of this to you," Shanks said.

"Huh? Why would Bepo say anything?" Neo looked at Bepo. He looked as confused as she felt.

"Because some elementals live on Zou," Shanks said.

"What?!" Neo and the crew, most of them, shouted.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Shachi demanded to the bear.

"I don't remember elementals living on Zou," Bepo said. "But then I did leave there when I was young. I must have forgotten or something."

"I don't see how you could forget someone like Neo," Shachi said.

"Excuse me for being more worried about my brother than who lived on Zou," Bepo grumbled.

"Don't worry about it." Neo patted his arm. "Maybe we can visit there one day."

"Speaking of which, when exactly are you going to tell everyone?" Conner looked to a couple elementals that walked passed them.

"In a couple hours," Neo said. "I ordered some maids not to tell people of this announcement until six o'clock."

"That's in less than an hour," Archer said.

"And I am so ready for it to be over," Neo said.

"It will be soon," Law said.

Neo nodded, but the last hour passed very slowly for her. Finally the time had arrived. They made their way back to the castle. A lot of elementals had already gathered around the front porch. They had to go in through a back door. Neo waited a few more moments, gathering her courage and thoughts, before stepping outside. To her surprise her godfather, his crew, Tao, and her three friends were gathered in front of the porch like they were there to guard her if needed.

The elementals murmured to each other as she stepped up to the railing. Once in place they immediately went silent. Neo took a deep breath and slowly released it. "My people, that you very much for coming to this announcement." She paused before continuing. "There is something that I need you all to know. And it's not going to be an easy thing for you to hear."

More murmurs came from the elementals.

"Please." Neo held up her hand to silence them. "This is a choice that I do not take lightly. But it is a choice that belongs to me. And as your royal I expect you all to respect that."

"Tell us, Princess!" someone called out.

"I have to decided to travel with the Heart Pirates!" Neo blurted out before she could stop herself. She had meant to deliver that news softer than that.

It seemed as if every single elemental, which didn't know of her choice, gasped.

"No! You can't do that!"

"You can't leave us, Princess!"

"This is those pirates fault!"

"Yeah! They've brainwashed our princess!"

"We must kick them off Luminous!"

"Enough!" Neo pulled a small group of storm clouds together. She released a low crack of thunder, silencing everyone immediately. "I will not allow you to harm these pirates! They are my friends! They helped my brother and I when we really needed it. And this man." She waved her hand at Law. "He is my bonded! We have bonded twice since we've been together!"

Another collected gasped. "Bonded? Twice?"

"How is that possible?!"

"It can't be!"

"It is," Neo said. She gestured for Law to take her hand. He did and stepped beside her. "I love him. And I will not be separated from him. We will be getting married." Another round of gasps, even from the pirates, happen. "I know this is a shock to you all, but this is how it's going to be."

"But you are our royal! You can't leave us!"

"My duty as your royal has been completed. The darkness crystal is gone and it's not coming back this time," Neo said.

"But you are still our royal! You have other duties here!"

"Other duties?" Neo scoffed. "You do not need me to sit on the throne or cut pretty little ribbons for openings of new buildings. I have never liked doing that. And nothing you can say will change my mind. You know what happens to a bonded if they are separated. Do you all wish for me to die?"

No one answered but she knew they didn't want her to die from being separated from her bonded.

"We are not leaving for two more weeks," Neo said. "I am willing to talk to you all about this more if you wish. Know that I am not abandoning you. I will never turn my back on you all. But this is how it has to be. I won't live without my bonded." With that she turned and headed back inside with the pirates.

"That was tense," Bepo said.

"I thought they were going to attack us," Shachi said.

"I'm surprised they didn't," Conner added.

"They won't have. Even if Godfather and the crew weren't out there," Neo said. "Despite how harsh and stubborn they can be with our traditions they would never hurt you all."

"Are you sure about that?" Law asked.

"I am." Neo nodded. "They're just shocked. Though this really shouldn't be all that much of a surprise. After all I've never been a normal royal."

"So when exactly did you two decide to get married?" Penguin asked.

"Uh, well…" Neo looked to Law.

"Yes," Shanks said behind them. "Do tell."

Neo turned an innocent look to her godfather. "Hello, Godfather. What brings you here?"

"Don't give me that, young lady," Shanks said, his eyes locked onto Law. "You can't marry her without my permission!"

"I don't need your permission to marry her!" Law growled.

"You do to! She's my daughter!" Shanks said.

"She's only your _goddaughter!_ She's not your _daughter_!" Law said.

"It's the same thing!"

"It is not!"

"It is too!"

"Huh," Penguin said slipping his arm around Neo's shoulder as the two pirate captains continued to argue over meaning of goddaughter. "They're taking this better than I thought."

"I guess this now makes the captain Red Hair Shanks' godson-in- _Law_ ," Shachi said with a snicker.

"Very funny," Conner said. "You're a real comedian."

"Well, I'm going to the library to read for a awhile. I could use the peace and quiet." Neo headed down the hall, leaving Law and Shanks to their arguing.

…

A few days later Neo was curled against Law's side, reading a book, when one of the castle maids entered into the room. "Excuse me, Princess."

"Yes?" Neo lowered her book.

"There are some elementals here to see you and your bonded," she said.

Neo and Law exchanged looks.

"They're waiting in the second meeting room." She waved her hand to the door.

Neo and Law stood up and left the room. She led him to the meeting room and entered. Four elementals were waiting for them, all her age and representing each of the elements. She sat down at the head of the table with Law on her right side. The other four were a few seats down from them, two on each side of the long table. "What's this about?"

The four exchanged looks before the fire elemental spoke up. He said, "Princess, we have been talking amongst ourselves these past few days. And as you might know we do find you announcement very shocking."

Neo nodded. When he didn't continue she waved to him and said, "You can speak freely."

"Well, some are not happy about your choice to leave," he said. "But we understand the bond you two now have. And we are willing to let you go without a fight if…"

"Yes?"

"If you two marry before you leave the island," he said.

Neo and Law exchanged looks again.

"Excuse me?" Law turned back to the elementals.

The young man wiggled in his chair, clearly uncomfortable with this talk. "It's for the princess's protection. We know that you two are, um, together, and you, uh, have certain desires."

"Sex," Neo said. "Call it was it is. There's no need to be embarrassed about it."

"Y-yes, Princess." He nodded. "We just want to make sure your purity remains in tact. The darkness crystal may have been purified but we still need you as a royal. You are the strongest of our people. And we want the pirates to go through a commitment ceremony too."

"Commitment ceremony?" Law asked.

"It's basically a formality," Neo said. "They just want your crew to promise to never reveal where our home is or anything else, if it can be helped, and vow to always keep me safe. Godfather and the others went through it as well."

"I see," Law said. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Yes." The fire elemental nodded. "That's it."

"Then leave us. We have much to talk about," Neo said. The elementals got up and left. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Law asked.

"For putting you through all this." Neo looked down to the table.

"It's not big deal," Law said. "We were getting married sooner or later anyway."

"Yeah. But I didn't think it would be this quick," Neo said. "What if we're not meant to be?"

"You say that now after we've bonded twice and are engaged?" Law smirked.

"Sorry. I know that. I guess I'm just…"

"A little overwhelmed?"

Neo nodded. "As you know I've ever seen myself with anyone. And as exciting as getting married sounds it's also very scary."

"I can understand that." Law took her hand and pulled her into his lap. "But I still want to marry you. And I will. We will. If this is what it takes to get your people to leave us alone then so be it."

"Are you sure?" Neo looked him in the eye.

"I am." Law nodded. "Just because we get married here doesn't mean we have to have sex immediately. I want you to be as ready for that as you can be. The first time will hurt you."

"I know, I know," Neo said. "I was well informed about all of that." She paused. "So…are we going to do this?"  
Law smiled. "Yes."

"Well, okay then," Neo said with an exhale. "I guess we should get things started if we're going to leave next week as planned."

Over the next several days Neo spent all of her time talking to the maids as they rushed around to get the wedding prepared. Neo and Law wanted it to be a simple as possible. There was no need for a fancy wedding since it didn't suit either of them.

Finally the day had come. She was standing in her bathroom, dressing in her white wedding gown that glittered. It was an off the shoulder dress with a tight bodice and the skirt flowing down to the floor. Tiny orange flowers had been threaded through her curled hair.

"You look so beautiful." Lily sniffed.

Neo glanced at her and her two other best girl friends. They all were dressed in matching off the shoulder, slim, light orange dresses to match the flowers in her hair. "Thank you."

"You're not having cold wings, are you?" Violet asked.

"No." Neo shook her head. "It's not that. I just wish that my parents could be here."

"Neo." Violet hugged her. "They would be so proud of you."

"Thank you," Neo said hugging her friend back.

"You know this won't really change anything between you and Law," Poppy said.

Neo nodded. Things would actually change. They were about to be husband and wife. They could finally have sex if they wanted. Though she wasn't sure when that would actually happen.

"Knock, knock," Kailen said as he knocked on the door.

"Hey, Kai," Neo said eyeing his formal suit he was wearing.

"Neo, you look incredible," Kailen said before kissing her forehead.

"You look good yourself," Neo said.

"Well, everyone's ready downstairs," Kailen said. "Are you ready?"

"Yup." Neo nodded. She slipped her arm through his and they all made their way downstairs. Shanks was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. She looked at him, surprised to see him dressed in a suit. "What?"

Shanks chuckled and took her hand. He kissed it. "You didn't think I'd let you marry that boy without me by your side, did you? Besides, it's tradition for a dad to walk his daughter down the isle. Well, in human tradition anyway."

"And I'm also going to do that," Kailen said pulling out a picture from his pocket. "And so are they."

Neo took the picture. Tears came to her eyes. It was one of their parents. "Thank you."

"Come on," Kailen said.

Neo nodded. Brushing away her tears, she held her head high as the doors to the palace was open. Law was waiting for her at the railing. He too was wearing a suit much to her surprise. Their pirate crews were standing down the stairs while the elementals had gathered around. Reaching Law she released her brother and godfather and took her place beside Law. Her heart raced as her hands trembled around her parents' picture. "Hey."

"Hey." Law smiled. They turned to the dignitary of the cloth that was going to join them in holy matrimony.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the dignitary started. "We are gathered here to day to join these two in marriage. As you all know this is a very special wedding and will have to be done differently since our royal is marrying a human."

Law rolled his eyes.

Neo forced back a snicker.

"Princess, if you and your bond would," the dignitary said while nodded to a young boy close by. "Take the marriage crystal in your hands as practiced."

The boy opened the box. Law pulled out the crystal inside. He and Neo wrapped their hand around it, making sure to put their fingertips under the other's palm.

"Now, do you, Trafalgar Law, promise to always protect and love Princess Neo so long as you both shall live?" the dignitary said.

"I do," Law said.

"And, do you, Princess Neo of Luminous, promise to always protect and love Trafalgar Law so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Neo said.

"Then you are hereby bonded by marriage," the dignitary said. "You may kiss to seal your bond of marriage."

Law leaned down and pressed his lips to Neo's. The people cheered and clapped.

"And now on to the commitment ceremony," the dignitary said. He nodded to another young elemental then to the Heart Pirates. The pirates gathered behind Neo and Law. "Heart Pirates, you all have committed to take our princess into your home, under your care and on all of your journeys you may find in the future. By accepting these medallions, you accept the terms of what it means to take care of our princess while she is with you. You will forever be devoted to her and will ensure the safety of her body and mind where ever you shall go as well as keeping the secrets she had told you as long as it possible. Do you accept these terms we have set out for you?"

"We do," they all said.

"Then by taking these medallions in your hands, you are committed to her for the rest of your lives." The dignitary picked the medallions up out of the box with his winds and flew them over to the pirates.

They gladly took the rounded silver medallions with smiles.

"Now you all are bound to our princess and our home," the dignitary said.

The elementals clapped as Neo hugged her pirate crew before they all turned to the wedding feast. Neo and Law spent time with the elementals as much as they could so lingering questions could be answered. One in particular was Ortiz. He gave them a journal that belonged to one of his ancestor that had been a royal. The journal belonged to Bayan and his bonded. Ortiz thought it might be helpful to them since they were bonded. They took it and read it later than night when they were in Neo's castle room. They found nothing new but was glad to have the journal.

Finally the time for them to set sail had come. After packing up supplies the pirates climbed on their ship and sub.

"Well, this is it," Shanks said.

"I can't believe it's actually happening," Neo said.

"Believe it." Law squeezed her hand.

Neo smiled then looked to Poppy. "Are you sure you want to come?"

"Totally sure," Poppy said. "I can always come home if I want to."

"True." Neo nodded while her friend climbed up the sub ladder. She turned to the others. The healer had also come to say her goodbyes.

"Take care of yourself, Princess," Healer Zinnia said. "I've put plenty of books on your sub so your bonded can know how to properly take care of you. Though I do wish he had spent more time training with me."

"Don't worry, Healer Zinnia," Kailen said. "I'll be there to guide him until he's a professional."

"Good." Healer Zinnia nodded. "Then I leave her in your care."

"Take care of yourself, Healer Zinnia," Neo said.

"You too." The healer smiled and left the beach.

Neo then hugged her friends, said goodbye again, and then turned to her godfather. "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime." Shanks hugged her. "I'll be seeing you soon." He glared at Law. "You better not get her hurt or killed or pregnant until your both ready."

"None of that will happen," Law said.

"Well, we haven't exactly spoke about having kids or not," Neo said. "We'll talk about that later."

Shanks nodded then joined his crew.

Neo lifted herself and Law to the sub. The crew had gone inside, excited over their new crewmate, while Neo and Law remained outside for a while longer. Neo watched as her home land faded away. "Kind of bitter sweet. But I know I made the right choice."

Law pressed a kiss into her hair then down to her neck.

Neo hummed in delight as his lips worked her soft spot. Turning in his hold, she pressed her lips to his before guiding him into the sub.

"Where are we going?" Law asked.

"Like we were going to wait." Neo pulled him into their room and closed the door.

…

 **Author's Notes: Well, that's it. Though I might have pushed the ending a bit too fast. From here everything would basically go the same as the rewrite but Neo would have the confidence she has now. And I think she'd get a pregnant sooner, though I'm not sure. Thanks for reading.**


End file.
